Go BabeBreakers
by Frostic Queen
Summary: Set in 2013(error on my part. Used something from the year without thinking). The BladeBreakers thought all their troubles were over with Boris in prison. They were wrong. For reasons unknown, somebody has the team attacked and turned into girls! How will they cope? Can they go back to being a boy? And will Kai win the heart of his closest friend?
1. The Transformation

So here we are, another story uploaded! I've been writing this one for a while and decided it was time to put it up. I have to thank my friend, Kiki Ling for providing the inspiration for this story. If you haven't read it already, I suggest reading Bootilicious Babes ASAP. My take is a bit more serious however. As is my style there's humour, rape and nudity. Pairings will reveal themselves.

Happy reading

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1

It was so far, a normal day in Japan for the BladeBreakers. Two years had gone by since Boris fell for a second time. The guys were happy to finally have some peace and quiet. Daichi went home shortly after Kai and Tyson's rematch to gloat about how great a beyblader he was. Even with no sign of a new tournament, the BladeBreakers trained everyday unless Kai was in a good mood and those days didn't come along often. Nobody had changed much over two years. Max was still a hyper happy-go-lucky blonde, Kenny was unable to put Dizzi down, Ray had become the main cook of the dojo, Hilary was sort of still team coach alongside Hiro, Kai rarely had a good day and Tyson was still Tyson. Bruce had decided to take some time away from globetrotting to spend time with Tyson and Hiro. The decision to make Hiro team coach obviously didn't go down well with Kai but he was simply told to deal with it. The sun was shining and the BladeBreakers were off to some open day at a beyblade manufacturing company. Luckily for Hiro, he had a meeting to attend to and Hilary had gone out with her parents for the day. Kai grumbled and grimaced as he marched behind his lively team. Kenny was the only one really excited about the open day. 'I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right about this sudden open day. I'll have to keep my guard up and look out for any signs of trouble. Boris might be behind bars but he could still attack us and get his revenge.' "Hey Kai hurry up! We're gonna miss it!" "So what? For all I care the place could go burn in hell." 'A day of weak tea and coffee isn't what I need right now. I'm struggling to make sense of what I've been feeling for a certain comrade lately. But if I told him he'd turn around and walk away I know he would.' "Kai!" Kai turned around slowly, fearing that he wasn't hearing things. A swarm of fan girls were headed his way and that made him move. "Shit. Get outta the way!" The guys laughed as Kai pegged it ahead of them, the girls only noticing Kai for the time being. They were however, amazed when Kai managed to somehow climb a shop building without needing anything to grab onto. "Where'd Kai learn to climb like that? And I'm not placing the money on adrenaline. Stuff like that takes years to master. Luckily for us these fan girls aren't ours so we can just walk on by. See ya later Kai!" "I'll see you in hell Ray!" 'I'm not staying up here all day long. Screw it. I'm gonna have to scale a few several storey buildings unless they're mostly small.'

Even though Kai was running across rooftops, the girls still chased him. The guys had to admit, they were a determined bunch. Tyson was too busy watching Kai leaping from roof to roof to notice he was headed for a lamppost, smacking into it face first. "Owwiiieee." "That'll teach you to not watch where you're going Tyson." Max laughed and clapped Tyson gently on the back along with Ray. "Hey guys I just realised something." "What's that Tyson? You just discovered that there was a lamppost wanting a kiss?" "Can it Max. Watching Kai leaping around like that made me think. We don't know much about how he grew up. I've never seen anyone other than Ray or athletes doing that kinda stuff." "Y'know Max, Tyson's right. And it's no picnic getting into his files either. I've tried a million times now. We should arrive at our destination right about…now." Kenny stopped walking and so did the others, turning to see a tall building in front of them. "Should we wait for Kai? It's not likely he'd go in by himself. Remember how hard it was for us to get him out the door?" "And you owe me a new scarf, Granger." Everyone jumped back when Kai dropped from the skies, his fist meeting the ground leaving a massive crater in the pavement. Ray noticed that Kai's breathing was fairly heavy. "I see you lost them?" "Took a while but they got the message about five minutes ago when I climbed to the top of this thing." "Um, Kai. Is your hand okay? You did kinda punch the ground really hard just now." "Your concern is not needed. Are we going into this hellish nightmare or have I gotta wait for those hags to catch up to me?" "No we'll go in. Just don't make us force you through the door." Since he was tired from running, Kai walked into the building leaving the others to follow after him. Upon stepping inside, Kai shivered with unease.

A couple of hours went by and nothing bad had happened. Ray kept his eyes on Kai as he seemed more than a little antsy, keeping away from any dark corners, scanning the ceiling occasionally. He knew better than anyone that Kai could feel something was wrong. 'Kai's acting really weird. This isn't like him. But then he's been somewhat paranoid since Boris went to prison at long last. I can't really blame Kai for being so scared. I'm worried too. Maybe I should try talking to Kai and see what's wrong.' Ray was about to follow up on his thoughts when the room suddenly went dark. Kai growled as he scanned the darkness. His fears had probably just come true. 'No windows so this place is pitch black. I can't see a thing in here. I might need Dranzer's help to find the others.' Kai stepped forward gingerly, reaching out a hand to try and feel his way through the darkness. He was about to call out to the others when someone emerged from the darkness behind him, grabbing Kai tightly to restrain him, covering his mouth to prevent any calls for help. "Hello Hiwatari. It's been a long time my pet. I've missed the days we used to have so much fun together. Now stay still you worthless brat." Although Kai couldn't see anything, he could feel another presence approaching him from the front. Kai squirmed and fought as a needle was plunged into his neck, its contents slowly pumped into his veins. "There's a good boy. Stay still and this will all be over soon." Kai's pulse raced when he felt the man restraining him unbuckling his belt and he fought even harder now there was no needle to break. "Hold him still! I'm not done with the little bastard yet!" "Kai?! Where are you dude?!" Kai cared not for his pride as he tried to alert the others that he was in need of help. Kai bit down on the hand covering his mouth just seconds before something long and hard was forced into his anal cavern, causing him to cry out in pain. Ray's attuned hearing followed the sound of Kai's cry, locating him somewhere to the left of the room. Ray was about to walk in that direction when he too was restrained and stabbed with a needle. Judging by the sound of fighting to his right, the others were suffering the same as him. Ray was released once the needle had been emptied and he staggered forwards. "Kai? What's going on? I feel really funny."

Ray waded through the darkness, picking up the sound of muffled screams that were getting closer. Ray's partially feline eyes allowed him some sight but not much. Moments later he found Kai being raped and injected with something extra to the original dose. "Kai? What are you bastards doing to him?!" Upon being discovered, Kai's attackers finished their task and escaped, leaving him on the floor, bleeding and shamed. "Kai!" Ray tried to run but his legs felt really heavy, pulling him to the floor just shy of Kai's paled face. The sound of several heavy objects hitting the floor told Ray and Kai that the others had probably collapsed from whatever was injected into them. With the last ounce of his strength, Ray pulled himself closer to Kai, taking his shaking hand and giving it a squeeze. "Ray? I…I tried to fight them." "It's okay. They're gone now. My head is getting real heavy. What did they do to you Kai?" Kai's grey eyes gleamed in the dark allowing Ray to see tears forming and falling. He could also see pain and fear. Kai stayed awake long enough to watch Ray's head hitting the floor harshly, eyes closed to the world. "I'm…sorry. I failed to…protect you from him. I'm nothing…but a failure after all. Grandfather was right. I can't do anything properly." Kai turned his vision to the ceiling before he too fell unconscious, his head landing on Ray's shoulder. Not long after Kai passed out, police stormed into the building with torches blaring. "Is there anybody in here?! This is the police!" Kai suddenly came around to see the torchlight darting across the room, reaching out his hand, hoping somebody would see it weakly waving around. When an officer tripped over something, the lights were turned on and Kai snapped his eyes shut. Everything Kai saw was blurred rather badly but he could make out guns in hands. Once again he fell into the realm of darkness, unable to stay awake. Medical personnel were called in to make sure all the victims were okay but when they noticed that Kai had been relieved of his trousers and boxers, they knew he'd put up a strong fight once he woke up. With no sign of bombs in the building, the people with injuries were taken to hospital. Since they had not been harmed seriously, the BladeBreakers were taken home.

Hours and hours raced by after the blackout at the open day. Ray was just coming around from his state of unconsciousness as a few police officers left the building. He caught Hiro's attention by groaning and grumbling, tossing his head from side to side. "What…happened? Where am I?" "Ray are you alright? I heard that somebody attacked you at the open day." "Hiro? What? Where?" "You're at the dojo. The police brought you back after a group of medics looked you over. Can you tell me what happened? I'm having no luck with Tyson. Max is still out of it and Kenny was taken home." "I don't remember much. Everything was fine until…until the lights went out. We were all at separate sides of the room. Ever since we got there Kai had been…weird. He kept looking around for something, eyes always focused. When everything turned black I tried to find the others. About five minutes later I heard Kai screaming in pain. Someone grabbed me from behind and…stabbed me with something. It felt like a needle. I think the others were too. Once my attacker released me I followed the faint sound of muffled cries." "What about Kai? Did he get worse treatment?" "When I found Kai he was…being raped I think. By two guys. I guess they didn't count on me finding the scene so they scrambled. After that everything went completely dark. That's all I can remember, Hiro." "That's alright Ray. Hilary's on her way over now. Just stay still. I know the doctors said you're not seriously harmed but just as a precaution." "Where's Kai?" "He was taken up to his room to rest. The last I knew, he was still unconscious." "Did they find any signs of sexual assault on him?" "Lots of them. Whoever flung their dick up his ass made sure he left a nice sample behind. The police are trying to trace it. They also found fibres in Kai's mouth so I'm guessing somebody forced him to blow them. It sickens me to know that there are people out there who would do something like that." "So long as Kai's okay." "Can I get you anything Ray? A drink? Something to eat?" Ray shook his head to say no, his eyes closing the very second Hilary arrived. A look of worry was set on her face as if it was made of stone. Hiro took Hilary to the kitchen so he could tell her everything Ray had explained to him. Once Hilary knew the situation she went to see if Kai had woken up.

It broke Hilary's heart to see Kai lying unconscious in his bed. His already pale skin was much paler than usual and Kai's face seemed to be twisted into a look of pain, probably the last thing he felt before the darkness claimed him. Hilary sat next to Kai on the bed and stroked his cheek to find it was heating up. "Kai? Kai can you hear me?" Hilary waited for a few moments, hoping Kai would show some signs of life. She was about to give up until Kai's eyebrows twitched. Hilary stayed quiet as Kai slowly came around, groaning in pain and frustration. The memory of what happened came back with a lot of force, sending Kai straight into shock. Hilary tried to calm Kai down but nothing seemed to work. "Kai it's okay! You're safe now!" "No! Get away from me!" Kai fought even more when Hilary pulled him into her arms to try and comfort him. Little by little, Kai started to calm down as Hilary stroked his flushed face with delicate hands. Hiro almost stormed into the room if Hilary didn't hold out a hand to stop him. "I'm alright Hiro. You should stay with the others in case they wake up. I'm guessing Tyson has fainted again?" "Yeah. Just call if you need me." Once Hiro was gone Hilary returned her attention to Kai only to find he was crying into her breasts with silent sobs wracking his body. "It's alright now Kai. They can't hurt you anymore. Hiro told me what happened. Those bastards won't get away with it. You'll be okay now. Kai, what did they do to you? Can you tell me? I want to take your pain away." "T-T-They grabbed m-m-me a-a-and. It hurt." "I know. Where did they hurt you? Point to the area on my body where they hurt you Kai. I want to understand so I can help." Kai raised a shaking hand and moved it to touch Hilary's butt, his eyes shut tightly. "Anywhere else? I promise the others won't know unless you want them to." Hilary watched in silence as Kai pointed to his mouth, refusing to open it. He broke into tears again so she held him tighter this time. Hilary was rather confused when Kai pulled her to lie down with him, feeling some force in his pull. "Kai what's wrong? If you want me to stay I will. There's no need to use violence." Without warning, Hilary found herself underneath Kai as he touched her.

No matter how hard Hilary tried to fight, Kai was stronger. There was no telling what Kai's intentions were as his eyes were shut. In Hilary's eyes, he seemed desperate for something that only she could give. Kai covered Hilary's mouth with his hand to stop her from screaming as he pushed his hardened shaft into her innocent vagina. "I-I-I'm sorry Hilary. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'd n-never seek to hurt you. They did something to make me d-d-do this." Hilary wasn't sure what was happening but when she looked in Kai's eyes, they were telling her the very same thing he'd just said. Hilary relaxed, allowing Kai to caress her curves, hitting that sweet spot with every thrust. "Kai I…I think they did something to increase your hormones. That's the only thing I can think of that would drive you to do this. Just try and be a little easier with me." "Hilary?" "This is my first time, Kai. I never imagined it would be you who would make me a woman." A rosy red blush settled on Hilary's cheeks as she spoke. Kai did as Hilary asked, easing his thrusts as much as he could. It wasn't too long before Kai reached his peak, pushing himself deeper into Hilary and she squealed, gripping his shoulders. They both panted for the much needed air. Kai was feeling the physical strain immediately and Hilary could see he was close to passing out again. Luckily Kai stayed awake long enough to pull away from the defiled brunette, holding her close. Hilary watched Kai sleeping for a little while, drinking in the peaceful look on his face. 'It's alright Kai. I won't let anybody hurt you again. You shouldn't have to suffer anymore. Sleep tight my Russian prince.' Hilary was careful not to wake Kai as she wriggled out of his hold. Hiro sighed in relief when he saw Hilary coming down the stairs. "Are you alright Hilary?" "Yes I'm fine Hiro. Kai's fast asleep again." "What's he done to you?" "Hiro it's nothing." "No it isn't nothing." "Hiro, it wasn't Kai's fault. The people who attacked him have done something to increase the need for sexual contact. How many times, in the three years you've known Kai, has he shown any interest in having sex with me?" "None. So he was being controlled?" "Possibly. How good are your hacking skills Hiro?" "My hacking skills? As in file hacking? Why do you want to know?" "Something tells me this isn't the first time Kai was raped."

Hiro didn't dare mess with Hilary, especially when the boys were in trouble. They sat at the computer for hours trying to crack the codes on Kai's personal files but nothing worked. Hiro and Hilary were so busy they didn't notice Ray had walked up behind them. "Something you're looking for?" There was no peace in Ray's eyes when Hiro looked up. "Ray, it's not what you think." "Then why are you trying to hack into Kai's file? If he wants to tell us what happened to him he'll do it in his own time." "Ray." Said young man looked at Hilary to see a hurt look in her eyes. "Kai's never going to tell us. If he did, there's probably some twisted idea that was forced into his mind so he wouldn't see things as abuse. I'm worried about him Ray. When Kai woke up earlier he went right into shock." "Wouldn't you if somebody had just raped you?" "It wouldn't have been severe if this was the first time. You want to know as much as we do. I can see it in your eyes." Ray had nothing to say in his defence so he helped Hiro to try and break the code. Everything Hiro tried ended up in failure. "Nothing is working. I've tried everything I can think of. Back when I joined BEGA, Boris foolishly allowed me access to some old files. He had one of Kai. Nothing in there helps me break this damn wall." Ray searched his memory, trying to find one thing Hiro didn't know about Kai. Something clicked in Ray's head and he began typing furiously. Whatever he put in got them through the shield. "Ray what did you type in?" "Black Dranzer is the ultimate power. Years ago we had to fight Kai on Lake Baikal in Russia before the tournament finals. Voltaire sent him out to get our bitbeasts and force us out of the tournament. Kai had abandoned us to join the Demolition Boys. He single handed took out the other teams and stole their bitbeasts using Black Dranzer." "What about the original Dranzer?" "Cast aside until Tyson launched it into the battle when Max came to our aid. Kai couldn't understand why he'd been defeated. We made him understand that power alone isn't everything. We had a reason to fight. At the time, we didn't know that Voltaire and Boris were trying to take over the world. We didn't want fame or power. And Kai realised that."

Hiro and Hilary were stunned at the story, unable to believe that Kai would betray his friends. When they all looked at the screen, nothing could've prepared them for what was there. Ray could tell that this file had come straight from BIOVOLT. Its logo was in the top corner of every page. Not only were there graphic verbal reports in Kai's file, pictures accompanied them and they weren't a pretty sight. Hilary buried her face into Hiro's shoulder, unable to look at the gross images of Kai after being beaten and various other tortures. Hiro had been shocked into silence by what they were reading. "Ray, get Max and Tyson. They should see this too. I'll try and save a copy on my flashdisk for Kenny to look at. How could anyone do such a thing to children so young? Like it or not, Mr. Dickenson needs to know too. Dad and gramps as well." Hiro swallowed thickly, trying to force back the tears that threatened to fall. Ray returned with a dopey Max and barely conscious Tyson. "Hiro? What's going on?" "See for yourself Max. I need to be excused." Ray didn't need to be told that Hiro was unable to cope with the harsh things in Kai's personal file. Max didn't know where to put himself. "Ray, what is this?" "It's Kai's file, Max. We wanted to know why Kai's the way he is. Here's the truth of what BIOVOLT really did." "This can't be…can it?" "I'm sorry Max. I can't take the sting out of these words. Kai was abused. There's nothing we could've done because back then, we didn't even know each other existed. I'd say he's no older than six or seven in most of these pictures." "Kai. Why didn't he tell us Ray?" "Because Kai was probably afraid we would abandon him. Not all abused people are accepted into society. Kai's accepted because nobody knows the truth of what happened to him. I'll bet Voltaire made Kai think this was punishment. In a way, I guess it was but seriously harming a child physically is not proper punishment. Back in my village, if we were caught doing something bad all we got was a tanned backside until we got older when a hand no longer did the trick. But nobody dared break the rules again after being spanked. I'll admit, I caused a bit of trouble as a kid. And I had my fair share of spanking. Twice was enough to tell most kids of my village that the rules were to be taken seriously. Despite knowing this, we can't tell Kai. He'd be furious."

Hiro returned about twenty minutes later and judging by the stains on his tanned cheeks he'd been crying. He tried hard not to look at the report as he saved three copies. One for Kenny, Bruce and gramps would have one to look at and so would Mr. Dickenson. Hiro was glad to finally close the file, unable to look at it for much longer. "I'll take this to the BBA. Hilary, I'm leaving you in charge of things here until I get back." "Okay. Are you gonna be alright? This is a lot to take in." "I'll be fine Hilary. Just keep Kai away from sharp objects. We know now that he's prone to attempting suicide after being sexually abused." "Right. I should go and check on him now. Take it easy out there Hiro." Hilary couldn't help but worry as Hiro got into his car and drove off to see Mr. Dickenson. Ray took Max and Tyson to their rooms as they were looking faint whilst Hilary checked on Kai. To her relief, he was still fast asleep. Kai didn't even twitch when Hilary's hand brushed his flushed cheek. "It's going to be okay now. We understand. And we'll never let anybody hurt you again. I promise." "Hilary?" "Ray? I'm gonna stay with Kai for a little while. Until I know it's completely safe to leave him on his own." "Alright. I'm starting to feel woozy so I'll see you in the morning." "Okay. Goodnight Ray." "Night." Hilary smiled at the dopey, uncaring tone in Ray's voice. He always sounded weird at the end of a long day when his voice decided it wanted to sound rather deadpanned. Hilary stayed with Kai until gone midnight. Hiro dropped her off at home and took Hilary's place watching over Kai as the abused teen slept. Hiro made a silent promise at Kai's bedside to always be there when he needed support. 'It's the least I can do. All this time I've done nothing but treat him like dirt simply because of how he behaved. When I first met Kai I knew he was unstable but now I know how wrong I was back then. I don't think Kai's gonna wake up now. Once he's out, that's it. Nothing can wake him until morning. Hell Kai even gets me up at the crack of dawn. And I'm the team coach. He means well. Kai doesn't know any other way to live his life.' Hiro took one last look at Kai before leaving the room, closing the door behind him silently so not to disturb the others.

The next morning the birds sang a sad song full of despair. Hiro rubbed the sleep from his eyes at around 9am. He didn't bother looking at the time since he was usually up at 4am. Hiro started to worry when he found nobody else had woken up, looking down at his watch. '9am? Kai normally gets us all up before now. I understand why Hilary isn't here yet. She was up pretty late. Perhaps I should go and check on one of the others. I'll leave Kai until last since he doesn't get much sleep.' An ear piercing scream forcefully yanked Hiro out of his thoughts and he bolted up the stairs with all his speed, not caring that he wasn't properly dressed. The scream had come from Ray's room most surprisingly. "Ray are you alright?! What's wrong?!" "Hiro? Don't c-c-come in." "Normally you don't care if I walk in when you're nude." "That's not funny!" "Alright fine. I'll check on the others and then come back so you'd better be dressed by then." Hiro stepped away from Ray's door and knocked on Max's that sat opposite. "Max? Are you awake yet?" Hiro meekly took a few steps into the room only to have a pillow thrown in his face. "Max, I'm really not in the mood for a pillow…" Hiro's sentence trailed off when he saw a naked girl on Max's bed all curled up to hide her exposed parts. The strange thing was, she looked just like Max from her blonde hair to the freckles on her face. "Um…'scuse me Miss." "Fuck off Hiro!" "What the?! Max?! Why the hell are you a girl?! Did you get a sex change or something?!" "This isn't funny. Why are you treating this like a joke?!" Hiro couldn't believe what he was seeing, leaving the room to try and clear his head. 'Okay this is not happening. Max is NOT a girl with big breasts and a supple bottom. Now I'm gonna check on Tyson and he's going to be a boy. I hope.' Hiro feared what awaited him in Tyson's jungle of a room. He had the decency to knock first before walking in. Hiro wasn't surprised to see Tyson was still sleeping but something wasn't right. Two lumps could be seen under the sheets and they definitely weren't Tyson's balls. Hiro knew that much since he'd caught Tyson in the shower once. 'That's not something I want to be thinking of right now.' Grim thoughts swirled in Hiro's mind as he slowly pulled the sheets away from Tyson's body. To Hiro's disgust, the first thing he noticed was the lack of clothes his brother was wearing, none to be exact. Hiro's eyes soon found a pair of breasts but no sign of a penis. 'This can't be happening!'

Hiro had one last room to check, Kai's. Knowing if Kai had woken up AND had somehow turned into a girl, Hiro was sure he'd be in a lot of pain for the next few hours so Kai was left in peace. "Ray, you haven't grown a pair of breasts and lost your pecker by any chance have you?" "How did you?!" "Because Max and Tyson are no longer boys!" Ray opened his door slowly and Hiro wanted to believe he was dreaming. Gone were Ray's abs and muscles and in their place sat a pair of large boobs, jiggling with every movement. His body was also more slender. "Hiro? Are we dreaming?" "I fucking hope so Ray. I haven't checked on Kai yet. The last time I walked in on him with nothing on I…no I don't want to think about that." "What about Kenny?" "Well he hasn't called so I'm hoping he's still got his manly bits. Shall we?" "What? I'm not going in there. Go by yourself you damn chicken." Hiro was about to do just that when Hilary arrived. Ray was back in his room like a rocket when he heard Hilary calling. "Morning Hiro! Are you okay? Looks to me like you've just seen Abraham Lincoln butt naked." "Hilary I've seen worse than Abraham Lincoln. We need to talk. Now." Hilary had no chance to protest as Hiro pushed her towards the kitchen. "Hiro? What's going on?" "We have a serious problem." "Calm down and tell me slowly. What's the problem?" "The guys they're…they're…" "They're what Hiro?" "They're girls!" Hilary blinked a few times struggling to process what Hiro had just told her. "You must be dreaming Hiro. Boys can't turn into girls overnight." "Trust me. I'm not dreaming." "What about Kai?" "I left him alone. I fancy keeping my fertility thanks." "Oh Hiro. Fine I'll go check on Kai. If what you say is true, he'll probably freak out, scream, kick you where it hurts and slam the door in your face." "Thanks for the vote of confidence." "Any word from the Chief?" "Not one. I'm hoping this nightmare isn't happening to him too." With a sigh, Hilary bravely went up the stairs and knocked on Kai's door. "Kai it's Hilary. I'm coming in whether you're naked or not." When Hilary walked into the room, she almost fainted. "Kai you…you have…breasts."

Hilary was held still by panicked grey eyes, not even daring to blink. Much like Ray, Kai's muscular body was now sleek and nimble but somehow he'd managed to retain some muscle on his arms and legs. Kai's pectorals had been replaced by a pair of breasts similar in size to the ones Ray now owned. And the last clincher was that Kai looked like he'd been a girl all his life since he had no penis. Kai blinked and so did Hilary. She was waiting for the inevitable scream. Hiro had sat himself at the kitchen table, trying to wake himself up from the nightmare that encased him. His head shot up when another scream pierced the air and this time he knew it was Kai. Hiro knew better than to go and peek but he was curious. So far, only Max and Ray had turned into attractive young women. He wondered if Kai would be sexier. 'Stop it Hiro! This isn't a joke. Kai's gonna kill me for sure.' By the time Hiro arrived, Hilary had wrapped a blanket around Kai's naked body so Hiro's eyes were denied any sort of glimpse. "Hilary? Is Kai okay?" "Hiro. I hate to say it but…you were right. Somehow the guys have turned into girls overnight. And suffice to say Kai is not taking it too well. Come now it's okay." "It's not okay! I'm a fucking girl!" "We'll find a way to fix you. I promise." Hiro wasn't ready for what he saw next. Kai completely shattered. His defensive emotional walls were smashed into a million pieces as he cried into Hilary's shoulder. Max and Ray had become brave enough to leave their rooms in whatever clothes they could fit into. "Hiro? Is Kai alright?" "No Max. She's…" "Hiro! Don't say the 'S' word!" "Sorry. HE isn't taking this too well. See for yourselves." Ray and Max were also stunned to see Kai in tears. Tyson soon appeared and it was no surprise that he didn't bother to put any clothes on. "Hiro? What's going on?" "Tyson. Good grief. Put some clothes on. Where's your frickin' dignity?" Hiro immediately wished he hadn't spoken as Tyson looked down at himself. "Is this some kinda joke?" "No Tyson I'm afraid not." "Where'd these come from?!" "I don't know Tyson! Just get dressed! I'm not even entirely sure I've woken up yet!" "Hiro you're not helping the situation here. Whatever those guys did, Kai's gotten off a lot worse. I'm guessing they gave him an overdose of estrogen. Considering how he's acting."

About twenty minutes went by after Hiro discovered that his team had suddenly turned into girls. Hilary was having a lot of trouble getting Kai out of his room. He'd somehow managed to fit into his man clothes though the trousers needed a belt otherwise they'd be falling down. "Kai you have to eat something." "No!" "They're not going to laugh at you Kai. They've turned into girls too. Now come on." Hilary wasn't sure how but she was able to get Kai out f his room but he wouldn't go down the stairs. "Kai don't make me call Hiro to come and carry you down the stairs. It's going to be okay. I promised I would look after you." In the end Hilary had no choice, whistling for Hiro to get off his ass. "Alright I'm coming. Now Kai. Don't make this harder than it needs to be." Hiro sighed in agitation when Kai bolted off down the hallway. "Kai come back here!" Whilst Hiro dealt with Kai Hilary went to see how the other 3 were coping. Despite the sudden change Ray was at the oven but he seemed to be having problems with his new found cleavage. "Ray do you need some help?" "Yeah a reversal potion would be just great. Damn it!" "I meant with breakfast." "No I'll be fine." "Ray I can see that you're struggling. Come on sit down. I'll do it." "I don't need any help." Hilary was confused with Ray's behaviour. Normally he was happy to accept Hilary's help but now he was rather aggressive. For her own safety, Hilary moved away from the oven. Max and Tyson were sitting in silence, unsure of how to really take the sudden shock. "Guys. I know this must be hard for you." "Hard for us? You don't understand how we feel right now Hilary!" Tyson was the one to finally snap, slamming his hands down on the table. Hilary instinctively backed away, not wanting to get hurt. Luckily Hiro came to her aid with Kai over his shoulder kicking and punching him. "Hiro?" "Sorry about the wait. I owe her for a black eye." "Hiro I've already told you not call him her." "That's enough Kai! Now stop throwing a goddamn hissy fit! I get that you're scared but we are too. Now sit the fuck down so we can try and talk about this! Ray get away from there before you burn the fucking place down!" Hilary suddenly felt unwanted since everyone was too busy yelling and cursing.

She was about to leave when a pair of arms snapped around her waist. It was Kai's arms that had developed the sudden grip on Hilary. He at the very least wasn't yelling or cursing. Not anymore. It seemed that Kai was starting to accept that he could probably be spending the rest of his days as a girl. "Thanks Kai. I guess one of you needs me at least. Come now sit down. We'll figure this thing out. Anybody else wanna take a swing at me? Because being bitchy won't help matters get better." "Hilary we're sorry. It's just that we're scared. What if we have to stay like this from now on?" "I know Max. Like it or not, you're going to have to starting wearing the stuff girls do." "Like what?" "Well for a start those can't be hanging around." Hilary pointed at the perfectly rounded shapes under Max's t-shirt and he oddly blushed. "Unfortunately I would prefer to get you all sorted at once so I'll have to ask some of my friends to help out." "Hell no!" Hilary had expected some protest from the boys…err…girls. "I understand that none of you are very confident about the current events but I will not have you going around with your breasts looking all saggy. Except you Tyson. You've hardly got any." Ray, Max and Kai couldn't help but snigger at the look on Tyson's face. Hiro did his best to block out everything Hilary was saying, keeping most of his attention on getting everyone their breakfast. The other half of Hiro's mind was trying to get rid of the erection that had developed. "Hiro are you alright over there? You're very quiet." "Yes Hilary I'm fine." "Are you sure? Nothing's wrong?" "No Hilary. Everything is fine." "That's funny because somebody looks very happy." Hiro soon realised that Hilary had snuck up on him. There was a mixed look of annoyance and delight on Hilary's face that made Hiro flee. "You'd better be careful. I think Hiro's getting a little hot under the collar. Especially you Ray." "Hiro wouldn't do that…would he?" "Men do crazy things when they see something appealing to them." All faces at the table grew deathly pale at the thought of Hiro fucking them. Kai at the least was mortified. He had every right to be. Everyone soon had a plate in front of them but nobody seemed hungry. "Come on guys. You've gotta keep your strength up." Hilary's heart sank when Kai left the kitchen. He was probably going to hide in his/her room for a few hours.

After some coaxing Hilary got the other 3 to eat their breakfast so she could go and deal with Hiro. She found him in his bedroom wearing only a pair of trousers. He flinched when Hilary placed a hand on his bare shoulder. "I know you're getting a little excited Hiro. I don't blame you. 3 of our boys have become very attractive. You won't be the only one with a stiff dick trust me." "You're not helping Hilary." "Then let me." Hiro was almost winded as Hilary placed herself on his crotch. "Hilary what are you doing?" "You want it don't you?" "No Hilary. I don't want to…I couldn't. Not to you." "Why not? Am I not attractive enough?" "Hilary, you're like a little sister to this team. It wouldn't feel right. I'm not that desperate." "I beg to differ Hiro. Just relax and it'll all be fine." Hiro had no chance to react as his hands were tied to the headboard, trousers and briefs ripped away. "Hmm. I never expected you to be the brief wearing type Hiro. But that's okay." "Hilary, don't do this." "I want to, Hiro." Words were no longer needed. Hiro clenched his fists and ground his teeth when Hilary slipped his hard penis into her pussy. Once Hilary reached her stop Hiro relaxed. "What's wrong Hiro? Is this your first time? Don't worry if it is." "Hilary, stop. Please. I don't want this." "But if I don't, you'll hurt the others. It's only a matter of time before you go into override and do something you'll regret. Now relax and I might think of untying your hands." Hiro had no choice but to do as he was told, relaxing his tensed muscles. Once Hiro was calm enough, Hilary held to her word and untied him only to be pulled down to lie on top of Hiro's rugged frame. He surprised Hilary more by taking one of her erected nipples into his mouth and sucked on it. "There's a good boy. Let yourself go. Don't worry about getting me pregnant. I'm on the pill. Are you having fun Hiro? I know I am." Hiro responded by driving his hard cock into Hilary as it started to slip out with the position being a little awkward. Downstairs, Ray and Max were worried about Hilary being on her own with Hiro. Tyson was preoccupied trying to get Kenny to answer his phone. He gave up after ten minutes. They all silently hoped that Kai would be okay with the sudden change.

By mid afternoon everyone but Kai had fully accepted their unexpected sex change. Hiro looked much better after Hilary had convinced him to release his inner desires with her. But he could hardly keep his eyes away from Max. Since Kenny wasn't answering to anyone, Hiro went to go and get him. Hilary had secretly called some of her friends and they were on their way. Hiro came back ten minutes later dragging Kenny by the ear away from his car. "Hils, I got her." "Her? Kenny?" Like the others, the young genius had mysteriously turned into a girl. He was possibly the least attractive of the group but his breasts were bigger than Tyson's and his figure firmer and slimmer. Kenny clung to Hiro like a magnet when the others looked their way. "Chief? They got you too?" "Come on. It'll be alright. I won't let anybody hurt you guys. Sit yourself down Kenny. I'll go and make some drinks." "Where's Kai?" "Probably trying to control his new temperament. Kenny, were you stabbed with anything yesterday during the attack? Like a needle?" "That's what it felt like. You guys too?" Ray, Max and Tyson gave a nod, supporting Kenny as his legs looked weak. He obviously wasn't taking the currents events too well. "Guys." Everyone looked at Ray to see he had his thinking face on. "What is it Ray?" "Yesterday when we were at that place, Kai was uneasy. He has been since Boris was locked up. He kept looking around for something that couldn't be found until the lights went off." "So you're saying that Kai knew this was going to happen to us?" "Not exactly, Tyson. Kai suspected that something was wrong the second he stepped into the building. I watched him shiver as we walked through the door. Kai only does that if he's uneasy." Ray allowed the others time to think about what he'd said. Max seemed to be taking it well although a look of sadness was painted in his eyes. "Kai must feel so terrible, being unable to protect us. It's not his fault. Do you think Boris is behind this Ray?" "I can't be sure but if he is, this seems rather out of character for him. Kenny, Hiro has something to show you." Said coach chose that moment to walk into the room with a tray of drinks in his hands. "I'll warn you now Chief. What I'm about to show you isn't pretty. So be ready to at least throw up." Kenny wasn't sure he wanted to go with Hiro but the others nudged him towards the door. They were confused when Hilary went out.

All faces in the sitting room paled when Hilary returned. She had met up with her friends and done some shopping. Kai was the only face missing but Hilary would be dealing with him. "Okay girls take your pick and let it rip. Just be gentle." One by one the others were taken to be girlified by Hilary's friends. Hiro just gave her a blank look. "Hiro, it had to be done. I was not taking a group of newly turned girls to a clothes shop. Kai especially." "I know. It's just hard to accept that they're all women now. Do you think we can change them back Hilary?" "I'm not entirely sure. I know little about Boris so whether he'd provide us with a cure…" "He wouldn't. Trust me. Boris isn't that kinda psycho. He'll issue conditions but even then if those are met we can't be certain he'll be nice and change them back. Wait a sec. If the guys were weakened, when Boris got out of prison, he'd have no trouble gaining what he desires. Damn him." "Hiro?" "Hilary, we only really have one option open to us. I'll be back later so please make sure the guys are alive when I get back." "It's not them you should be worried about. My girls are the ones in some mortal danger. Ray's got some really nasty nails. Where are you going?" "To see Mr. Dickenson. I know Kai wouldn't want them to know but they're our only hope." Hiro left Hilary confused as he drove away in his dark silver Scion tC. Hilary pushed her worry to one side and journeyed up to Kai's room. She had no problems gaining entry since Kai trusted her much more than he used to. "Alright Kai. Don't make this any harder than it has to be." Hilary was distracted by what sounded like scratching. She looked outside to see Ray was fighting to get out of his room, nails scraping across the varnished wooden floor. Hilary could easily guess that he was resisting against being dressed in a certain garment. "Hilary?" "It's alright Kai. Ray's just met his match that's all. Now let's get you into your new clothes. Don't worry it's nothing too bright. I know your likes and dislikes by now." Kai dreaded what Hilary had in store for him as she set her bags down on the bed beside him.

About an hour later Hilary's friends had all worked their magic. Luckily they had been told that the girls they'd given makeovers were the sisters of the BladeBreakers and were looking after the dojo whilst the boys were away. Hilary looked at the guys feeling rather proud once her friends were out of sight. Ray was now even more attractive in a low cut white tank top, tight crystal blue jeans and a silver cardigan. Hilary had been informed that his breasts were at least a 38E. Max wasn't too bothered about his new outfit. He'd persuaded his trend giver to let him wear a yellow t-shirt instead of the garish pink spaghetti top she had planned. He hadn't argued about the denim shorts and orange leggings though. His new cleavage was a tad smaller than Ray's at 38B. Tyson looked tidier in a dark blue vest top and ¾ white jeans. 32C was his breast size. Hilary wasn't all that surprised. Kenny was surprisingly rather cute in a pale pink blouse and a pleated brown skirt that went to the knees. Kenny's boobs topped 34B in size. Last but not least Hilary turned to Kai. She'd been kind and given him some baggy allowance but he still wasn't amused with the underwire bra that supported his 40B breasts. The others were a little envious of Kai's new dark purple jeans that flared at the bottom and didn't cling to anywhere but the butt and his loose fitting dark red sleeveless muffler neck top. Kai's hair had also been styled to make him look more appealing. When Hiro had been allowed to see what the guys were wearing he was first glued to Max, then to Ray and lastly Kai but his gaze didn't linger for long at the glare he received. "So whaddya think Hiro?" "Well I. They look great. I won't dare go into detail. I'm a family wanting man." Kai snorted, knowing Hiro aimed those words at him. Hilary was quick to stop Kai as he tried to vanish again. "Get back here Kai. You're not going anywhere. Now be a good boy and sit down." "Um Hilary…" "Can it Tyson! You might be fine with being called a she but Kai isn't. So if you value your life you'll shut up and sit down." "Not really Hilary. Doesn't Kenny look adorable?" "I'm a bit busy right now Tyson!" Kai shrieked when Hiro plucked him off the ground, setting him over his shoulder. "Okay missy, sit your butt down." "Put me down Hiro!" "In a second." Kai wasn't satisfied with Hiro's answer so he forced the handsome young coach to put him down.

Hiro fell to the floor, dropping Kai onto the sofa but most unfortunately, Hiro's face landed smack dab between Kai's breasts and that was enough to upset Kai. Hiro waited for the inevitable kick to the balls but instead he could feel Kai trembling. "Hiro, pull your face out of there!" Hiro did just that, meeting watery grey eyes at the same time. "Okay normally I'd be on the floor in pain by now. This isn't right." "I already told you that Kai's having a hard time controlling his emotions right now. Hush now it's alright." The others could only watch as Hilary comforted their grieving captain. This new side to Kai would take some getting used to. Hiro left the room, hoping his lack of presence would help Kai calm down. It helped a little. Ray grew tired of standing around, hugging Kai's quivering back. "Ray?" "I can't just stand by and watch Kai fall apart like this, Hilary. He needs us now more than ever. You too guys. Get over here." Max was willing to do whatever it took to help, joining the embrace slowly making sure he didn't smother Kai with his big boobs. Tyson was more reluctant but he too added his bid to help. It just left Kenny. "C'mon Chief. You too. There's very little chance of you being crushed to death." Kai's sobbing slowly eased now that his team had all gathered to comfort him. "There now you'll be okay. I'm afraid to say there's a lot I have to teach all of you about your new body parts." "You're kidding. We haven't…" "Yes Max. I suspect that you do all have the ability to carry children now. It's logical. That's why I'm going to do my best to protect all of you from harm. Hiro's already trying to find a way to change you back to the way you were." "He is?" Hilary looked down into Kai's eyes to see fear by the masses. "Yes Kai. Hiro would never wish this upon anybody. Especially not his team. You all mean a lot to him. Hiro might not show it I know but deep down he sees you all as family. Now be good. I need to go and speak with the tanned devil." Kai seemed to be more relaxed now as he leaned into Ray's arms. "I just realised something guys." "What's that Tyson?" "How are we gonna tell my grandpa? And my dad?" "I'm sure Hiro will think of something. I'm hoping that he hasn't told Mr. Dickenson about this whole situation."

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How was it? Can you guess who attacked the boys? A familiar team will be entering in the next chapter so stand by for for humour.


	2. Unexpected Help

Here's chapter 2 (yes I'm hoping to upload 10 chapters in one session. Sue me for being dedicated) I'm not going to give anything away so just read and find out for yourselves. I'm feeling lazy right now and no doubt Kai is waiting around the nearest corner to kill me so I'd best vacate the area.

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2

A couple of days went by after the BladeBreakers found out they'd turned into girls. Hilary rarely strayed from Kai's side if she could help it. On the third day of being a girl, Kai was up first at about 6am. Her sleeping pattern had taken a serious hit since becoming female. It had taken her and the others a while to get used to sitting on a toilet to pee. At first everything was fine until Kai looked down into her new white panties. Kai's eyes rested on a red stain upon the gusset. 'What is this? What's going on? Come to think of it I did feel a bit wet this morning.' Fearing that something was really wrong, Kai called Hilary. On the other side of town, Hilary was still in bed. It was a Saturday so she was having a lie in. Or at least she tried. Hilary's phone vibrated on the table next to the bed. Hilary lazily felt around for the vibrating device and answered the call. "Hello?" (Hilary?") "Kai? What are doing calling me at 6am?" ("I think something's wrong with me.") "What do you mean Kai? Where are you?" ("I…I'm in the bathroom.") "Alright tell me what's wrong." ("I'm not sure. There's a…red stain in my underwear.") That was enough to get Hilary out of bed and out the door with some provisions. "Don't move Kai. I'm on my way. There's no need to panic." ("Are you sure?") "Yes I'm sure. I'll be there soon." Hilary gave Kai no chance to ask more questions, ending the call. She closed the front door quietly and snuck around to the back of the house where a girls' pushbike sat waiting. Very few people were out in the streets due to the hour so Hilary peddled as fast as she could to reach the dojo before Kai became too distressed. Hiro had just unlocked the main gate when Hilary arrived. "Hilary? What are you doing here so early?" "Ms. Hiwatari is having a dilemma apparently." "I'll go put the kettle on. Looks like you need a coffee." "Thanks Hiro." 'Please don't tell me that Kai's already having his first period. I haven't even taught them about that yet. I've been busy getting everything together.' Hilary ran a hand through her messy unbrushed hair as she headed upstairs. Kai flinched when there was a knock at the bathroom door.

She relaxed when Hilary came in and locked the door behind her. "Alright you let's have a look at ya." Kai seemed more than a little antsy as Hilary checked for other signs of a period. "Is this the only thing wrong Kai?" "Yeah." "Don't panic you're not going to die." "What's wrong with me?" "You're having your first period, Kai." "My first what?" "Looks like I'll be teaching you and the others sooner than I'm ready." "What's a period?" "I'll explain it briefly for now. A period is a time of the month we girls go through. About eleven days before the period starts one of our ovaries releases an egg, scientifically called the ovum. Now if that egg isn't fertilized within those eleven days, the walls of the womb crumble away. That's not to say the womb is falling apart. When it's time for an egg to be released, the womb develops a soft wall to cushion the developing infant. But since the egg hasn't been fertilized, that lining has no reason to be there." "You're confusing me." "I know but the human body is complicated. I'll go get you a clean pair of panties so stay put." Kai did as she was told and sat perfectly still. Hilary wasn't gone long. "To start off I'll give you some towels." "Towels?" Hilary held up a small square packet confusing Kai even more. "This is a sanitary towel. Their job is to absorb the blood that is discharged during a period. You have to change them every couple of hours." "Okay." "These ones I have here are thin so you shouldn't feel them too much. And they come with a little handy feature." Kai watched curiously as Hilary pulled the sanitary towel out of its packet and unfolded it. "These little wings help to keep the towel in place while you're moving around so it doesn't fall off." Hilary pointed to the flaps on either side of the pad. She then showed Kai how to put the pad into place. "Now when you change the towel, always put the used one into a nappy bag and throw it in the bin. Once you're more comfortable I'll introduce you to tampons. Sometimes it's better to wear one of each. There now you're all sorted. Since this is your first period I expect the pains will come along soon." "Pains?" "Sort of a cramp. It depends how heavy the period is. There are four types. Light, medium, heavy and super heavy."

Whilst the others woke up Hilary went to get her tutoring file. Before leaving she'd informed Hiro that Kai would need a lot of support since her mood would swing even more. Hiro was very careful not to upset Kai as she sat at the table. "So how are you feeling? Just in general." "Tired." "You'll be okay. Your body is just struggling to cope with all these sudden changes I think. How do you like your eggs again?" "I'm not hungry." Hiro knew he had to tread very lightly now. Kai was extremely sensitive about eating. Before it wasn't such a sore subject. "Are you sure? Hilary's really worried about you Kai. If she comes back and finds you haven't eaten I'm in trouble. Just try and eat a little. Please." Hiro wanted to take Kai's hand and tell her everything was going to be okay but the last time he did that all hell broke loose. "Kai I know it's difficult. I'm doing everything I can to help you guys through this." "I'm not hungry." Hiro decided it would be best to not push Kai further, returning to the oven. Ray trudged in looking like she'd just had a fight with the neighbour's lawnmower. "Morning Ray. What happened to your hair?" "Hunh? I couldn't be bothered to brush it. What's for breakfast?" "Whatever you want. I'm up for suggestions." "I'll just have some toast for now Hiro. I'm not all that hungry. Was Hilary here earlier? I could've sworn I heard her talking about something." "Yeah. She'll be back later to explain why. Sit yourself down buddy. I expect the other 2 will be down soon." "Probably. I heard Max rummaging around for something not too long ago." Hiro shrugged the matter to one side, popping two slices of white bread into the toaster and flicking the kettle switch to get it boiling. Ray had to admit, Hiro was good at multitasking in the kitchen. "Think nothing of it Ray. I've had a lot of practise." A dopey looking Tyson soon emerged, her hair all over the place. Hiro didn't need to ask what she wanted for breakfast. Or at least he thought he didn't. "Are you okay Tyson?" "I feel a little sick right now Hiro." "Oh okay. I'll get you something for that in just a second. Is there anything else I can get you?" "Just a slice of toast." "Just one?" Hiro received a nod so he momentarily abandoned his breakfast to deal with the 3 slices of toast that had been ordered. He also warned Ray and Tyson not to agitate Kai if they wanted to survive the morning with their ears in tact. They both worried about Kai not eating anything.

When Max finally arrived she was the brightest of the group, fully dressed and groomed. The dreary look on Kai's face told her to keep the noise down. Hiro had just sat down with his breakfast the second Max walked in. "It's alright Hiro. I'll get my own breakfast." "Are you sure Max? I don't mind." "You've already done enough for now. We can't make you do everything around here." "I'm doing this of my own free will. Nobody is making me do anything." "Hey chill out. I just meant that you should take it easy. We wouldn't want you to exhaust yourself on our account." Hiro was warmed by Max's words. 'They should be here soon. And I'll probably have to run from a severely pissed off hormonal Kai.' Hiro's thoughts trailed off just as Kai stood to leave the table. "Kai? Are you okay? Aren't you hungry?" "No Max. I'm fine. I just need to rest that's all." Everyone noticed the sudden gentle, feminine tone to Kai's voice, wondering when that had developed. Max waited until Kai was gone to ask the others about it. "Did you guys just hear that? Either my hearing is screwed up or Kai sounds more female." "You're not wrong Max. I heard it too. Guess we're in for it next. By the looks of things Kai hasn't noticed it yet. In all honesty I'm glad. Otherwise we'd have wet shoulders again." "Well Hilary says his mood will be swinging even more now. I'll let her tell you why when she gets back." "Back? Hilary has already been by this morning?" "Yeah. She'll explain everything so I'd get your learning caps on after breakfast." Tyson scratched the back of her head feeling a tad confused. "But wait a minute. Hilary wasn't due to start teaching us for another few days. What gives?" "Alright but keep it down. I promised Hilary I wouldn't tell you. Kai's menstruating." "Wha?" "Hiro's saying that Kai's cycle has started, Tyson. Having grown up with a girl most of my life I know a thing or two about these things." "Then tell me." "(Sigh). Tyson, girls go through times called periods. I'm not completely sure what their purpose is I just know that they can be painful. I'll let Hilary explain it in more detail later. But Kai will be extra emotional now so we'll need to be careful."

Hilary returned at about 9am laden with folders and books. Tyson had hoped she wouldn't be testing them but those hopes had backfired. Hilary was somehow able to persuade Kai to eat something before their lesson began. She suspected Tyson would try to worm out of it so Hiro stood at the door to make sure his little sister wouldn't try to make a run for it. He was however distracted by his phone two hours later. By then Hilary's first lesson had finished and the girls were relieved. Hiro's muscles were tense as he waited by the gate. 'I already fear for my life. I've read about these guys and they're quite a violent bunch. I can't even think of what they'd do to me when they find out what's happened.' "Hiro Granger I presume?" It was a strong, gravelly voice that pulled Hiro out of his thoughts. The Blitzkrieg Boys stood by the gate all looking menacing. Spencer appeared to be the current speaker. "Hello lads. Nice of you to make it all the way here." "Cut the chit chat. Where's Kai?" "The guys are all inside. Come on in and I'll make you all a drink. You must be weary…" "Look pretty boy. We didn't come here for pleasantries. We were told that something happened to your team and you want our help to try and fix it. Now show us the damn problem." Hiro didn't dare utter another word, zipping into the dojo. "Spence, I think you're being a little too hard with him. I know you're worried about Kai. We all are." Shut up Ian. After Hiro joined BEGA I saw reason in his actions not to trust him." Ian shrunk back, sticking by Tala for protection. The boys had all grown in looks more than personality. Their bodies were packed with muscle to throw around at will. Spencer was of course the buffest of the quartet. They found the kitchen with no trouble. Hiro was busy at the side preparing the kettle and Ray was doing the dishes, blissfully unaware that Brian was behind her. Ray stiffened up and almost squeaked when Brian's hand met her ass. "Hello there gorgeous. Fancy meeting a pretty lady like you in a place like this." Ray turned around slowly, gazing up into Brian's lilac eyes fearfully. "You look familiar sweetheart." "Brian?" Hiro looked up when Brian freaked, moving well away from Ray. "What the fuck?! When did you?!" "Hiro. What are they doing here?" 'Oh shit. Looks like Kai isn't the only one I have to worry about.' "Now Ray. Let's be adults about this." "Why didn't you tell us you invited them?!" "Somebody's in trouble." "Fuck."

The Blitzkrieg Boys watched in amusement as Ray chased Hiro, her long nails poised to kill. Tala kicked Ian in the ribs as the young snake owner rolled around on the floor in fits of laughter. Spencer merely smiled a little. The boys were soon discovered by Hilary. "Don't I know you guys from somewhere?" "Well hello. I was beginning to think everyone had lost their manners in this place." Sarcasm dripped from every word leaving Tala's mouth and Hilary was not pleased one little bit, pulling him down to look her in the eyes. "You listen here pal. We're not having a good time right now so I'm gonna have to ask you boys to leave." "We can't do that. Bluebell summoned us." "Bluebell? Hiro Granger!" Hilary stormed off in pursuit of Hiro who was still being chased by a furious Ray. The boys all took a seat at the table, watching the hilarious events unfold. "Something tells me we'll be leaving here in body bags from too much laughter." "But I have to wonder." All eyes turned to Spencer as he sat in his thinking pose. "Spencer?" "Why didn't he tell them we were coming? Did the BladeBreakers not ask him to call on us? And most of all, why is it our help that was requested?" "Come to think of it Tala, Spencer's right. This seems fishy to me. I'm curious as to why Ray is not a boy. These guys aren't the type to have sex changes." Brian's words got Tala and Spencer thinking. They didn't know much about the BladeBreakers but one thing was for certain. None of the team members would willingly go through with having their bodies changed. "We'll find out soon enough. I'll admit the guy has guts to have us fly all the way here from Russia. Someone's coming." Tala wasn't wrong when somebody stopped stiff at the kitchen door. That somebody just happened to be Kai. "Kai? What the hell is going on around here man?" Kai bolted out of fear instead of anger and Spencer gave chase. Kai's door was locked tight and despite being insanely strong, Spencer could not break it down. "Kai open this door right now! Why the hell did you run from us?! Answer me!" Hiro staggered up the stairs covered in scratches.

He immediately grew defensive upon seeing Spencer banging on Kai's door, using the last of his strength to tackle the giant away from the room. Hiro stood little chance against Spencer and he was soon tossed down the stairs with Spencer hot on his heels. By now, Max, Tyson and Kenny were in the sitting room. They were both amused and confused at seeing Hiro being beaten about, fearing for his life much more. "You've got some explaining to do Granger so start talking!" "Spencer? Is that really you?" "Hm?" Spencer received the same shock Brian had when he looked at Max. "What the hell is going on here?!" "Whoa man cool it. But err. What are you doing here? And why are you trying to kill our coach?" "I'm not trying to kill him. We want answers." "We?" The remaining 3 Blitzkrieg Boys walked out of the kitchen, their faces stern. "Hiro? What are the Blitzkrieg Boys doing here? You didn't…" "I'm sorry guys. I thought that maybe they could help to change you all back." "What do you mean change them back?" Hiro cowered under the stairs, his courage all spent so Hilary took his place. She wasn't intimidated by Spencer's hulking frame. "You must be the ones Hiro was mumbling about not long after this all started. Sit down and I'll explain. How did he find you?" To stop Spencer scaring people, Ian piped up as he sat down next to Tala. "Well he didn't contact us directly. A few days ago we got a call from Mr. Dickenson saying you guys needed our help with something. He never gave us any details. What's going on exactly?" "Who are you?" "I'm Ian. I just got outta being fostered for three years. That's why I wasn't at the tournament two years ago." "I see. Well Hiro did one thing right at the very least. If this gets out to the public we're in for some serious hell. About four days ago the guys went to an open day at a beyblade manufacturing company. Hiro had a meeting and I'd already arranged to go out with my parents so they had to go alone. I hear it was hell trying to get Kai out the door. From what I've heard, nothing happened for a few hours but Kai was skittish." "He has every right to be. We all know Boris too well. He'll be out sooner than later." "Really? Without warning the room went dark. The staff were apparently all knocked unconscious with a drug that induces sleep."

Hilary took a moment to catch her breath. Ray had distracted herself from ripping Hiro to shreds by making everyone a drink. To her surprise the Russian men thanked her although their words were hushed. "What happened next?" "According to what the police have been told and from what Ray told us, the guys were attacked separately at similar times. We believe that Kai was struck first." "Hilary, I'd like to take it from here, please." "Alright Ray if you're sure." "I think it would be better for them to hear this next part from somebody who was there." "Okay I'll shut my mouth from this point onwards." "Thanks. As Hilary said, Kai was attacked first. I'd noticed that he'd been rather insecure since we entered the building. I was going to ask him if he was okay when the room went pitch black. I'm still not entirely sure what happened but a few minutes later I heard Kai screaming in pain. Someone or something grabbed me from behind before I could move and pricked me with what felt like a needle. Not long after I was released, the others were assaulted." "What happened then? Did you feel faint? Tired even?" "Well Spencer my head felt heavy and my legs weren't very responsive. Almost as if they were made of solid iron. It wasn't long after I started walking that I found Kai. Since it was dark my vision was limited despite my great night sight. From what I could see he was being attacked by two men. When they noticed me Kai's attackers fled, leaving him to bleed on the floor. Before falling into darkness I remember looking into Kai's eyes." "What did you see Ray?" "He was…crying. Kai never cries." "I'm guessing you also saw fear?" Ray nodded at Spencer's question and the gruff giant could only grunt. "From what you described, it sounds like that event was a ruse. A set up. How long ago did you…change?" "Three days ago. We were all pretty shaken up." Ray fell silent, remembering the morning he woke up to find he was now a woman. For a moment, the Blitzkrieg Boys spoke to each other in Russian so the others couldn't understand them. Tala gave the next question. "Other than this unwanted sex change, has anything else happened to Kai?" "Well he's super emotional now. We have to be really careful otherwise he'll just shatter."

Tala sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. He knew just as well as his comrades that Boris was more than likely behind the recent events. Hilary excused herself to check on Kai. Spencer would've gone with her if Brian hadn't sat on him. "Sorry Brian I'm not interested. Now move." "No. If Kai is easily upset then that's why he ran from us. Anything else you guys want to mention?" "No not really. So how have you guys been? It's been a while." "We're not too bad I suppose." "Brian, shut your mouth." "Fine. I was just being friendly." "We're not here to be nice, Brian. This is serious. There's a high possibility that Boris did this to them. And knowing him, there's no way to change these guys back to the way they were." "That's why Hiro had us come all the way here. There has to be something we can do Tala. Kai won't be able to cope otherwise." "I know Ian. I suppose we'll have no choice but to be friendly. Don't worry we've booked ourselves into a hotel. Kai warned us about Tyson's habits." "Did she now?" "Tyson! What have I told you about using the 'S' word?!" "'S' word?" "It's not a good idea to address Kai the way you would do if speaking to a girl." "Oh I see. He's in denial it seems. You can come out now you bloody coward." Hiro reluctantly came out of hiding the very moment Hilary came downstairs, surprisingly with Kai clinging to her arm. Hiro got ready to run when Kai's menacing grey eyes landed on him but Spencer came to his defence, pulling Kai into his arms tight enough so she couldn't wriggle out of it. "He's had enough punishment now Kai. It's gonna be alright. We'll change you back if it's the last thing we do." "I should probably warn you fellas to be vigilant. Unless you'd rather be raped of course." "Why so?" "Well somehow…actually I'd better explain this in the kitchen. Don't worry Kai's in good hands." "I'm staying." "Spencer?" "I said I'm staying. I'll be fine. Whatever we're in danger of I can protect myself." Spencer's decision to stay behind was accepted so Tala, Brian and Ian followed Hilary. As the others watched Spencer comforting Kai through the trauma, he seemed like a completely different person. So far he'd been aggressive but now Spencer appeared to be the most huggable person on the planet. "You'll all be wise to keep quiet." "Keeping quiet." "Good. Now you need to calm down. We're not going to let Boris bully you anymore."

Kai calmed down slowly to the extent that she was as docile as kitten cuddling up to its mother for warmth. The remaining Russians returned after Spencer sat down with Kai on his lap. He was informed in Russian of what Hilary told them and a groan escaped his barely parted lips. "He's taking this too far." "We know Spence. Is Kai alright?" "No he's not alright but for now I've managed to calm him. Though I don't expect it to last." "Neither do we. We were gonna head out for something to eat. Anything we can get ya?" "Hey you don't have to eat out, guys. It's not like we're gonna poison you." "No offense Tyson but we're not huge fans of foreign food. To some extent." "Well we don't just eat Japanese food here. I'm sure Hiro wouldn't mind cooking something for you." "I most certainly would after the beatings I've gotten today." "C'mon bro." "No, Tyson. I'm tired and now very sore so if you'll excuse me I have some resting to do." Nobody really knew what had gotten into Hiro as he stormed up the stairs. Tala oddly just blinked, staring at the stairs. "C'mon Tala. Leave him to sulk." "What's your problem huh?! What has Hiro ever done to you?!" Tyson refused to back down when Brian got up in her face. "I'll tell you what your beloved brother did. He joined Boris." "I'm sure Hiro had his reasons!" "Well since then we haven't trusted him. We never will until he proves us wrong." "Then what about Kai? Kai joined BEGA and you don't hate him!" "That's enough Tyson!" "Kai?" The young woman in question looked severely rattled. Spencer had a firm hold on Kai's waist to stop her lashing out. "Stop it Tyson. We grew up together so that's why I receive no hatred. We are kin whether you like it or not. I might be part of your family Tyson but these guys mean a whole lot more to me. They always have." "Then why are you still with us if we mean so little to you?!" "I never said you meant nothing! Yes I see you as a family. I won't deny that. But I don't always feel like I belong here." "Then go back to Russia with them where I'm sure you'll feel more at home!" Tyson stormed up the stairs before anybody could say anything else.

Tyson's words had wounded Kai. So much so that she was now crying into Spencer's shirt. Tala was thinking that Tyson's idea would be a good one but the bluenette was being selfish. Max and Ray didn't seem to share the same view. They surprised Spencer by pulling Kai into their arms for comfort as if to prove that they cared. He seemed touched to say the least. "Guys, we're not in danger here. Besides, Kai needs us by his side." "But Spence…" "I won't add more fuel to the flames that are already raging out of control. Tyson's just being a selfish little brat. Kai may not show it very often but he has feelings too. Let's just try to get along okay?" Spencer relaxed more when his teammates sat back down beside him. "Are you guys sure you don't mind catering for us? We'd really hate to be a nuisance." "No worries. Hey where'd Hilary go?" Max's question was answered when Hilary could be heard yelling at Hiro for something. She came down the stairs with a bright red face. "Anybody else need a good ear bashing?" "No ma'am. We're all cool now. Spencer sorted it out." "Well then we can't leave our guests go hungry. And from what I've heard Kai didn't eat anything this morning." "Well what are we waiting for? Let's get cooking." "Max, you should stay here sweetie. I'm sure the boys will play nicely." Hilary made sure she added venom to her last few words, leaving the room with Ray. "I guess she's not to be messed with?" "Absolutely not. But Hilary's just looking out for us. We've gotten a lot closer to her since all this shit cropped up." "I see. I always thought she'd be the silent type." "Boy were you ever wrong." "So have you been into town yet?" Max glanced at Ian, feeling insecure around him after what happened to Draciel in Russia. "No. Hilary forbids it right now. Not that Kai wants to go outside. Even if you get chased he stops at the door." "So that means you also haven't been training?" "No Tala. Kai's been struggling and he really needs a break. Besides, it's not like we're gonna be attacked for our bitbeasts." "You already have been." "What?" "Boris has thought this through. Based on his beliefs, bitbeasts will not serve someone who is weak. So he turned you all into the opposite sex because he believes girls are weak. I suspect a letter will arrive soon giving his conditions to you." "We're not handing our bitbeasts to him."

"Boris is aware of that. This might sound very harsh, Max. But you must never go outside into the town unless it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise you could be attacked in various ways." "I understand Tala. So we're okay to be out in the gardens?" "Yes. We'll pretty much be here every single day unless we've either fallen ill, chances of that are close to nil, or we stumble across something that could help turn you all back into men." "I'm not really sure I want to change back." Max's words silenced everyone and she grew nervous. "What'd I say?" "You would rather be a woman for the rest of your life?" "Well I have kinda been thinking about having a sex change for a while." "Tell me you're not serious Max." "Sorry Kai. I've never had any luck with the ladies so I thought…y'know." "Then I accept your decision." "Kai?" "I can't force you to turn back if you don't want to. Personally, I despise what I've become. But maybe in time I might grow to like it. For now I want my body back." "Thanks Kai. I honestly didn't think you'd understand. I'm not gonna hug you. That might make matters worse." "It's a girl thing. We'll have to adapt." Kai struggled for air when Max gripped her in a bear hug. "That doesn't mean you can hug me until I run out of air! Besides, I still have my no touch policy when it comes to you lot. Ray's fine, it's just the rest of you." "Aww that hurts Kai. Don't you trust us?" Kai turned away to leave the room. "You don't want me to answer that question, Max. Honestly you don't." "Hey where are you going?" "To the bathroom." Max sat down defeated and hurt. She had always believed that Kai trusted them. When Ray came out of the kitchen to fetch Tala's lot she noticed the life had been sucked right out of Max. "Hey what's the matter Max?" "I think Kai just hurt her feelings." "You asked him if he trusted us again didn't you? Don't take it seriously Max. You know that Kai trusts us. Otherwise he wouldn't be here. Go on in guys. Your dinner is waiting." "Thanks Ray. We'll do what we can to help whilst we're here. Sit down. We'll clean up after ourselves." "Are you sure? It would seem rather rude of us to…" "It's fine." "Okay if you insist. Where's Kai?" "Bathroom." Ray remained silent, holding Max in her arms.

The day went by and nobody had been killed. Tala apparently wasn't too keen on being in a crowd as he sat away from everyone. Spencer had taken a nap on the sofa with Kai, Brian sat out in a tree and Ian drove Max crazy on the XBOX. When the Blitzkrieg Boys decided to leave, Kai clung to Spencer for dear life. "Kai you'll be okay. We're coming back tomorrow. Don't start this again. Come on you're a big boy now." "Should we take him with us? Otherwise we'll never get anywhere." "Shut up Brian. Kai, you have to be strong. Nobody is going to hurt you here." In the end Hilary had to pry Kai's arms off of Spencer so he could go and get some sleep. Once the girls were all tucked into their beds Hiro took Hilary home since it was rather dark. In the dead of night Kai woke up and got dressed in her darkest clothes. 'Hiro should be fast asleep by now. I know they'll probably be worried but I need to be near Spencer.' Kai stopped thinking to listen for any sign that Hiro was awake. Upon hearing nothing Kai crept out of her room and went downstairs quietly. Luckily Kai had found an old pair of shoes she could wear since the newest pair she bought as a boy would no longer fit. Kai scaled the wall and headed to the hotel the Blitzkrieg Boys were staying in. It didn't take her long to find the building. 'Trust them to pick the fifth fucking floor. Oh well. I've climbed up a building further than that before. But Spencer won't leave his window unlocked. Would he?' Kai looked at a plan of the building she'd sneakily printed off to locate Spencer's room. Looking up, Kai could see an open window five windows up the wall. 'He probably left it open for me in case I came here by myself. Time to get climbing.' Kai pushed her thoughts to one side and began to scale the wall. It was a lot easier than it looked since the building was built to be like a slotted cube. Kai reached the fifth floor in no time, locating the open window. No lights were on so Kai guessed Spencer had gone to sleep. She crept quietly through the window and across to the empty side of Spencer's bed. Kai removed her shoes silently and placed them by the bed before slipping under the covers and snuggling up to the gentle giant. Spencer didn't seem to notice Kai's head resting on his strong shoulder, one of her arms winding around his waist. Once Kai was comfortable she fell soundly asleep. 'My brother.'

The morning song of happy birds dragged Spencer from his slumber. It was still dark outside so Spencer estimated it to be about 7am at the latest. He lazily got out of bed, failing to notice the young woman that was holding him and plodded into the bathroom. Kai's ears twitched when she heard the shower running. 'He's up already? Then again he wakes the others normally.' Kai waited in silence for a couple of minutes before curiosity got the better of her. Spencer had a sure shock when Kai came into the bathroom, quickly grabbing a towel to cover himself. "Kai what the hell are you doing here?" "I wanted to be with you Spencer." "How'd you…never mind. I didn't leave the window open for you but oh well." "You didn't?" "No. I thought you'd stay put like you were told." "I'm sorry." "No it's okay. Don't cry. I'm not angry with you Kai. You just surprised me that's all. But from now on when I tell you to stay at the dojo, do as you're told okay?" "Okay." "Good lad. Go and wait in the bedroom. I'll be out soon." When Kai didn't leave Spencer grew worried. "Kai? Why haven't you moved?" 'Good question. Why can't I move? Is it because I want to tell him how I feel?' "Kai. Go into the bedroom." When Kai still didn't move Spencer started to grow agitated. That was until he felt a hand on his abs, stroking the bulky muscles gently. "What do you think you're doing Kai? Is there something you wanted to tell me?" "No." "Then why are you trying to sweeten me up?" "I'm not. I just. Miss my real body." Spencer worried more when Kai fell to her knees in pain. "Kai what's wrong?" "My side hurts." "Come on I'll take you to rest." Before Spencer could move, Kai's arms developed a death grip on one of his muscular legs, her face twisted in pain. It was also rather close to his manly area and that made Spencer a little uncomfortable to say the least. 'Something is very wrong here. But I don't want to hurt him by using too much force. If he doesn't let go my shower will go cold.' Spencer was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he failed to notice a strange look in Kai's eyes as her head vanished under the fresh white towel. Spencer blinked a couple of times when he felt something wet and warm enveloping his half hard penis, lifting the towel up. "Kai what the hell are you doing down there?"

An unfamiliar feeling rushed through Spencer's veins as Kai took his manhood deeper into her mouth, eyes closed peacefully. After the first wave of bliss, Spencer had taken to gripping the sink that sat by the toilet he stood in front of, his eyes shut tightly as he tried to make sense of what was happening. "K-K-Kai what are doing? Stop this. Ungh." Kai looked up, meeting Spencer's confused gaze but she didn't let go of the hardened flesh. Spencer's legs were slowly losing their strength with every bob of Kai's head. After a couple of minutes Spencer felt his balls twitching and he knew what that meant. 'Oh fuck. Now he really needs to stop.' Kai put up one last fight before Spencer was able to push her back but by then his peak had been reached. Despite not wanting to show he'd enjoyed the unexpected blowjob, Spencer released a restrained grunt as his cum shot out onto Kai's face forming white rivulets. For a moment Spencer looked into Kai's eyes to try and find the reason why she'd sucked on him but there was nothing to give anything away. Spencer tried to move away but Kai was quick, seizing the swollen tip of Spencer's penis and sucked on it. "Kai that's enough. Let go!" This time Kai backed away, noticing a look of sheer anger on Spencer's face. "But you liked it." "What the hell is wrong with you Kai? Why'd you do that to me?" Kai blinked, trying to make sense of her actions. She herself wasn't sure why. Spencer knew perfectly well why he'd just been blown. He remembered being told of Kai's increased need for sexual closeness. Spencer left Kai on the floor to think her actions through before the shower gave up hope of anyone using it. "Spencer I…I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." "Just don't let it happen again Kai. Now clean yourself up before somebody sees that mess on your face." Kai had almost forgotten about the white substance trickling down her face, moving to the sink to wash it off. Spencer felt much better when he stepped out of the shower. To his surprise Kai was waiting for him in the bedroom looking rather ashamed of herself. To avoid a repeat of what had happened, Spencer dressed himself before approaching Kai. "Alright you time to take you home." Spencer's hopes of being safe from more sexual harassment faded when Kai started to work on his belt.

Much to Spencer's misfortune, Brian chose that moment to walk in looking dopey but his mind was sharp. "Spencer? What's going on?" "Brian? It's not what it looks like. That's enough!" Kai bolted in fright, moving to the opposite side of the bed whilst Spencer undid what she had done. "Now you're going home whether you like it or not." "Spencer, you didn't answer my question." "Later Brian." "Alright. Ian and Tala are already awake and waiting." With no further words Brian left the room so Spencer could get Kai ready to leave. She had slept in her clothes so there was no worry about dressing her. With Kai's shoes on and tied, Spencer found an old hoodie he no longer wore. "What's that for?" "So that the media doesn't catch wind of your little accident. Now put it on." Kai did as she was told without argument before being dragged out of Spencer's hotel room by the arm. Tala and Ian were just as confused as Brian had been. "Spencer? What's Kai doing here?" "Crafty little shit climbed in through my window. Let's go. They're probably going hysterical looking for him. Get moving." Tala knew by the look on Spencer's face that something was wrong. Half way into their journey, Kai grew too tired to walk so Spencer carried her over his shoulder and she was none too pleased at the very least. Ray and the others were rather confused when Spencer made haste up the stairs towards Kai's room, tucking her tightly into her cold bed and locking the door whilst she screamed and yelled rather unpleasant words. With Kai safely contained in her room, Spencer allowed himself to drop to the floor exhausted. Tala explained what he knew to the others whilst Brian tried to help Spencer down the stairs with no real luck. Spencer's heavy frame ended up dragging Brian head first down the stairs, landing on top of the smaller falcon wielder. "A little help please!" Everyone chipped in to haul Spencer to the sofa so Brian could breathe. "What the hell happened?" "Looks to me like Kai's got one hell of a kick to bring Spencer down. He had no choice but to carry him. Kicked and screamed he did." "I'd say Kai's done more than kick and punch Spencer to bring him to his knees."

The matter was dropped immediately after it was brought up. Nobody wanted to think that a big guy like Spencer could be assaulted by someone of Kai's size. It just so happened that the Blitzkrieg Boys had arrived in time for breakfast. Ray and Hilary dealt with the kitchen duties whilst Hiro tidied the dojo. It wasn't long before Brian had to ask. "What's gotten into him?" "Gramps is due back home today. My dad too. Boy are they gonna have a surprise." "You seem to be amused." Tyson could only grin leaving Brian mildly disturbed, uttering something in Russian to Tala only to get elbowed in the ribs. "Ow!" "No muttering at the table." "You and your table manners." "Just be quiet Brian. Spencer looks like he's got a killer headache. And we all know what Spencer's like when he's got a headache." "A little too well." Brian shivered at the memory of Spencer's last migraine, not wanting to see a repeat of the event. Breakfast was soon served and once everyone had eaten, Brian and Max were tasked with washing up the dishes. There was an awkward silence in the kitchen and it made Max uneasy. She could see a look of concentration on Brian's face as he scrubbed a plate clean. "So uhh. How are you liking Japan so far Brian?" "Considering we haven't had time to look around Max, that's a fairly pointless question. But I will admit it's a nice quiet place. In all honesty I'd rather be back in Russia." "That's understandable. You've lived there all your life so everything else just seems alien to you. I was like that when me and my dad moved here." "Does he know? About this?" Brian gestured to Max's hourglass figure making her blush. "Err it keeps slipping my mind. My mom will probably freak out or faint. Possibly even both." Brian had no will or wish to respond, setting the plate he'd been washing onto the drainer for Max to dry. "It makes you uncomfortable doesn't it? Talking about family?" "Drop it blondie. I don't want to hurt you." The venomous tinge in Brian's voice told Max he wasn't playing around. Luckily Ray came to her aid. "Go and sit down Max. I'll take over from here." "But Ray, you cooked." "It doesn't matter. Go on. I'll be fine." Ray wasn't sure what she'd done to persuade Max but either way the gorgeous blonde was safe from harm but Brian was now on edge, remembering what he'd done upon arriving at the dojo. Ray could see Brian's unease, attempting to settle him with a small smile.

"I'm not mad at you Brian. For slapping my rear. And for what happened at the tournament all those years ago. I'm sure you didn't want to hurt me." "How can you not hate me? I could've killed you." "But you didn't. That's all that matters. We've learnt a lot about Boris over the years. When BEGA went down, Hiro had all sorts of information on Boris and Voltaire." "I doubt there was much in there." "No Brian. There was plenty." Ray put the dishcloth on the side and made Brian look at her. "We know what he did to you guys. Roughly." "What do you mean roughly? You got into Kai's file didn't you?!" "We were just worried about him Brian! Can you blame us?! We wanted to know why he's the way he is. Or was. Hilary knew that Kai would never tell us on his own." "Since you put it that way Ray, I can't blame you. But how did you get in?" "I remembered something from back then. When Kai used Black Dranzer. He described it as the ultimate power." Brian felt uneasy with the subject, trying to distract himself with another dirty dish but Ray was persistent. "In Boris's files, we found a report of the Russian tournament. Prior to our match, Boris told you to hurt me otherwise you'd get hurt yourself. That scared you. Yet you didn't show your fear. That fear turned into the power used against me. That's why I'm not angry, Brian. Because I know the truth behind the violence. We want to help you in return for helping us. If you can't find a way to change us back, it's not your fault. We simply should've been more careful." "That doesn't matter. Boris would've got to you guys one way or another. But would you be willing to spend the rest of your days as a girl?" "If that's what it comes to yes. I could care less if our fans turn on us. To be fair, it would be better if they didn't know." "But they'll find out one day. You're very brave Ray. I admire your courage. I couldn't live with being female." "These things just happen, Brian. And we have no choice but to deal with them. I'm glad we had this talk. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders." "Yeah mine too. Thanks Ray. These guys are lucky to have a friend like you."

A couple of hours went by and very slowly, the Blitzkrieg Boys were opening up to the BladeBreakers. Spencer spent most of his time sleeping off the bruises Kai had given him. Brian had become more comfortable around Ray and Tala sat closer to the group. Ian was indifferent since he'd apparently had counselling during the period he was fostered. Hiro nervously awaited the return of his elders whilst the others were oblivious to his nerves. At around 3pm Hiro heard a car pulling up outside and he panicked. 'What am I going to tell them? And somebody needs to wake Spencer up. Gramps will not take well to him being sprawled out on the sofa.' Hiro bravely stepped back into the dojo and purposefully moved towards Spencer. That was until Ian stopped him. "That's not a good idea." "He needs to wake up. They're back and Grandpa won't like seeing Spencer hogging the sofa." "Alright I'll do it. Just stand back if you wish to live." Everyone watched as Ian pulled a feather out of his pocket before an evil idea cropped into his head. "Hey have you got any whipped cream?" "Whipped cream?" "Yup. I've got a great idea." "I thought you said waking Spencer was life threatening?" "It is. But I like to do it anyway in the most hilarious ways." "Alright but I'm not being held responsible if he snaps you in half." Ian couldn't be happier when Hiro returned with a can of whipped cream, squirting some of the contents onto Spencer's open hand. Tala knew what was coming, slapping his forehead and keeping well clear. Brian did the same without face palming. All eyes were trained on Spencer as Ian tickled his brow with the feather. When light tickling failed, Ian found a feather duster and used that instead. That did the trick as Spencer raised his creamed hand to smack away the irritating itch only to find he'd just been pranked…again. "Ian!" "I'm outta here!" Ian was off like a rocket with Spencer in hot pursuit, not caring that his face looked like a broken cream pie, chasing the lithe teen around the yard. Everyone was in a fit of laughter by the time Bruce and Grandpa Granger walked in. "Well what in god's name is going on here?" "Grandpa! You should've seen it!" "Seen what?" For no apparent reason Kenny had recorded the prank, showing the elder Grangers what had taken place and they were splitting their sides. That was until Spencer returned with an unconscious Ian over his shoulder, face now cleaned of cream. "Alright who gave Ian the whipped cream?"

Hiro tried to look all innocent but his plan backfired. Spencer heartlessly dropped Ian onto the floor and chased after Hiro this time. Eventually, Bruce noticed that Kenny was wearing a skirt and a pretty girly blouse. "Umm, Kenny? Why are you dressed like that?" Bruce hit the nail on everyone's head. They'd completely forgotten about their little issue during the onslaught of laughter. To ease some tension, Tala pushed the old men into the kitchen and explained the situation to them whilst the others had chance to calm down. "Alright it's like this. Whilst you were away doing god knows what, the BladeBreakers went to a falsely arranged open day at a company that supposedly manufactures beyblades. During their time there the guys were attacked under cover of a blackout. I'm afraid to announce that Boris is possibly behind this event without a shadow of a doubt." "How does that explain why Kenny is dressed like a girl?" "Because he is one." Bruce blinked alongside his father, struggling to process the words Tala had spoken. "I'm sorry Tala I think I must've heard you wrong because I thought I heard you say Kenny is now a girl." "You heard me correctly. And it's not just Kenny. Tyson, Max, Ray and Kai have all turned into girls. Hiro got out of it by attending a meeting and Hilary is already a girl." "But why would Boris turn them into girls?" "Because he's a sexist pig who needs to go burn in the most active volcano known to mankind and then be mutilated in hell. Does that sum it up for you?" "What?" "In other words, he's after their bitbeasts again!" "Well why didn't you say that in the first place?" "Doesn't matter. As a warning, Kai has become emotionally and sexually unstable so guard your manly bits with vigilance. I think Spencer found out the hard way this morning." "Tala. If they look like girls, does this mean they're girls on the inside too?" "I believe so. But that's everything we know." "Why are you here?" "Hiro called for our help to try and change your boys back. Now if you'll excuse me I need to rescue your son from a rampaging giant. I wouldn't want to stand up in court if he gets killed."

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Did you expect the Dem Boys to be reeled in? Well there's more in store for both teams in the very near future. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some angry Russians to shake off my tail.


	3. He's Gone

Here's chapter three. A bit of tear jerker here and I'm not saying why. Also, I've started my own series of game drabbles that I'll be uploading so take a gander and see what you think.

Anyhow, on with the show

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3

Once Tala managed to stop Spencer from murdering Hiro and Ian, everyone could relax. Kai was released from her prison not knowing that the elders had returned. The idea of boys suddenly becoming girls was hard for Bruce to grasp. Hiro soon dragged him and Grandpa Granger away for a little chat, making sure nobody was listening in. "Hiro what's going on?" "I have something you need to see. But please, do not smother Kai. If he finds out we've seen his file we're gonna be in for trouble. Whilst you were gone we wanted to understand why Kai was so guarded of his emotions. Not only was Kai injected with the stuff that turned the guys into girls but he was also raped and possibly received a shot overdose of estrogen that will probably never leave his bloodstream. Now I must warn you this is no fairytale." Bruce and Grandpa Granger were immediately struck with horror when Hiro pulled Kai's report onto the screen. Neither of them wanted to believe it was true. "This can't be true." "I'm sorry dad. It's still hard for us to stomach. I've already been to see Mr. Dickenson to let him know. It's only fair that he should be able to understand why Kai's the way he was." "Does Stanley know they're?" "No he doesn't. I can't bring myself to tell him. Despite asking for his help to get the Blitzkrieg Boys over here." "Tala says you called for their help." "There's nothing else I could've done. Guilt haunts me every night because I'm incapable of finding a cure. I'm their coach. It was my duty to protect them but I failed. Kai blames himself for being too weak." Seeing Hiro broken wounded Bruce and Grandpa Granger, pulling the distraught young man into a comforting embrace that he was grateful for. "It's not your fault Hiro. I'm sure they don't blame you for not being there. Come on. Let's go get a drink." Hiro managed to calm himself once he closed Kai's file down once again. Bruce took Hiro into the kitchen whilst Grandpa Granger went to check on the others. Kai immediately hid behind Spencer causing the giant of a man to stiffen. "It's alright lil' dude. We've been told what happened. We'll do our best to help out. I hope you weren't thinking we'd abandon you, Kai. I don't care what anybody says. You're a part of this family whether you like it or not."

Nobody expected Kai to pull the old man into a hug, tears breaking through her tightly closed eyes. "There, there. We could care less about all the times you betrayed us. You've more than made up for that now. Forgive me for saying but you look very pretty." Kai wasn't sure how to take the compliment, shrinking back to cling to Spencer again. "He means no harm, Kai. Now ease off. I still haven't recovered from the kicking you gave me this morning." "I'm sorry." "Forget about it. I should've remembered you don't like being picked up like that. It's my fault not yours." Kai looked as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders, cuddling Spencer with something quite similar to affection. The others were confused by the bond Spencer and Kai shared. Everyone except the boys they'd grown up with. Spencer could see Tyson was on the verge of asking some very sensitive questions, gently escorting Kai out of the room. "Question mark?" "We're not blind, Tyson. We know you're curious about Kai and Spencer's bond. They sort of grew up together for a while before the abbey. Not much is known about how they met but Boris brought them in together." "What about Kai's parents?" "There were some Chinese whispers going around at the time of their arrival. I'm not entirely sure I want to trust them but some say Kai's mother isn't Russian." "Really? If she wasn't Russian, where'd she come from?" Tala shrugged. "Rumours are that she was a Neko-Jin." The last two words gave everyone a shock. Brian and Ian chose not to listen. "Well that would sort of explain how Kai can leap up a building." "He can?" "Yeah. Before this happened he was chased by some fan girls and took refuge atop a building. We didn't know what to say either." "Hm. Then it's possible the rumours are true." "And Kai's dad?" "Last I heard he died. Kai's father didn't work for Voltaire. He had a passion for erecting buildings. Some say he was killed at a building site a while before Kai was kidnapped. I must remind you that most of this is just gossip that reached our ears at the Abbey. Not all of it may be true. In fact it could all be lies."

Tala shifted into a more comfortable position before he continued to tell the others what he knew of Kai and Spencer's past together. There was no kindness in Tala's icy blue eyes as he stared at everyone. "Like most days in Russia, it was cold and snowing. People say that Kai had a close bond with his mother that his father was jealous of." "But why would he be jealous of his own son?" "Because his mother died shortly after bringing him into this world. There's not much chance of Kai having any siblings. His parents were in their late thirties when he was born." "Did you ever learn their names Tala?" "I believe Kai's fathers' name was Sumaru. He was oddly named after a star. I'm not entirely sure but I think his mothers' name was Natsu. Possibly the name of another star. Kai would've been no older than five years old when Sumaru was supposedly killed at the building site. Kai spent most of his days with his mother. If what people say is true then I envy him. But the day Sumaru died is the day Natsu went on the run with Kai. Voltaire was not at all happy to find out he was ill informed about having a grandson. I don't blame Sumaru one bit given his father is a monster. Eye witnesses reported seeing Natsu fleeing the home she and Kai shared with Sumaru, a frightened Kai in her arms. After a week or so, Natsu grew weary. She'd ran out of money to keep Kai well fed so there was only one thing Natsu could do to ensure Kai's survival." Tala paused, waiting for somebody to ask what Natsu's final option was. When nobody bothered to open their mouths, Tala returned to explaining. "Since nobody wishes to ask, Natsu started searching for a family to look after Kai until things settled down. She chose Spencer's family for several reasons. Kai would benefit from having a big brother and the Petrov's were very kind. At first Spencer's parents were reluctant to take Kai but in the end Natsu managed to win them over. I'm sure that Kai didn't want her leave without him. He apparently settled in quickly with the Petrov family. But every few nights he would cry, wanting his mother to come back. And Spencer was there for him. They've been like brothers ever since. Nothing can break the bond of brotherhood that they share." The tale shocked everyone for a moment but they understood what Tala was saying.

Ray realised a few minutes later that there must've been some pressure on Kai being half Neko-Jin. The Neko-Jin race was widely frowned upon in some places of the world. Tala said nothing despite noticing the look on Ray's face. "Kai must've had it rough." "Ray? What are you talking about?" "Tyson, many people dislike the Neko-Jin race. They call us mistakes of nature. When I left my village I knew the world would be cruel but I never expected to find my people are widely discriminated. And being half Neko-Jin is worse because you're not the only one frowned upon. Your parents are too. You'll be lucky if your family stays by your side. We don't want people to hate us. For centuries we've longed to be accepted into society. That's why most of us were born in secluded mountain villages. To protect us from the harsh reality of what we are." "That's just wrong." "Others would disagree with you Tyson. I can't begin to imagine what Voltaire must've put Kai through. Tell me Tala. What are your thoughts on my kind?" "My thoughts? I've never spared much time to think about such trivial matters. In all honesty I think if you were born on this planet, you've every right to exist. That goes for animals too. Some things defy logic. Your people are one of life's many mysteries. As far as I'm concerned, you're a human being with rights and feelings. Save your breath on these two. They'll only tell you the same." "Thanks Tala. That really makes me feel better. Knowing that there's very little chance of you attacking me for what I am." "If I was going to rip you to pieces, you'd have to piss me off first." "Not like that's hard to do." "Shut up you despicable long nosed reject." Ray rolled her eyes at Tala's behaviour. Luckily the gesture went unnoticed. Spencer brought Kai back in once he knew it was safe. Looking at everyone, Spencer could guess Tala had told them everything. "Sit down. You're making the room look very untidy." "Well pardon me for only just walking in. It's alright Kai." "They know, don't they?" "Kai?" "About the tainted blood in my veins." "I've told you a dozen times or more that it's not bad blood, Kai. You're human. We all are. It doesn't matter about your heritage. We're not going to abandon you because of selfish people forcing their beliefs on others."

The room fell very silent after that. Night time was quick to come around and this time Kai did as she was told, going to bed without arguing. Soon a month had gone by and each member of the BladeBreakers had gone through their first menstruation period. The Blitzkrieg Boys had decided to buy a house nearby since they weren't going back to Russia anytime soon. Kai had managed to convince them not to bring the furniture, insisting that she would pay for the new stuff. Her actions confused the others but she simply told them it was because the Blitzkrieg Boys were helping them. Within a week the house of Blitzkrieg was almost ready. It just had to be decorated. Spencer gave Kai a list of colours and schemes to work with and she sent Hiro out to get the stuff. Tyson, Max, Ray and Kenny would be helping to decorate the building whilst Hilary drafted in a few friends to help tidy up the garden. Even Bruce helped out. It gave him time to bond with his son…err, daughter more. It was the last day of moving for the Blitzkrieg Boys. They'd had a lot of things to sort out over in Russia. They were nice enough to donate their furniture to families who desperately needed it but the building remained theirs. Kai and the others were almost done with preparing the five bedroom house, moving furniture into place and erasing all traces of that fresh paint smell. So not to be awkward, the Blitzkrieg Boys hadn't asked for wallpaper to be put up in every room. Embossed paper was in the living room and painted over to give it some life. The carpets were nice and fluffy so it would be warm should the Russians still be in Japan when winter came along. Kai looked around Spencer's new room feeling proud. The room wasn't too bright and that was just how Spencer liked it. The walls were a crisp oak brown at the bottom whilst the top half was a calming mocha colour. All the woodwork was made of varnished pine and anything metal was coloured bronze, including the door handle. A stylish lamp sat on the bedside table, coloured deep green with a hazelnut shade. Having moved the stuff herself, Kai was very tired so she fell asleep on Spencer's new memory foam mattress, not bothering to pull the dark orange/forest green silk sheets over her body. Hiro checked on Kai, leaving her to sleep when he noticed how peaceful she looked.

Each team member had been assigned to a room. Kai had Spencer's, Ray was in charge of decorating and furnishing Brian's bedroom, Max had been gifted the task of equipping Ian's room with all his gadgets and gizmos on top of making it liveable whereas Tyson an Bruce had the honour of dealing with the team captains' quarters. Kenny was restricted to the bathroom and Hiro dealt with the guest bedroom, making sure it wasn't too garish. The rumbling stop of an engine stopped four of the BladeBreakers in their tracks. Obviously Kai was fast asleep, deaf to the world but Ray was too busy listening to music whilst she worked. Plus Brian's room wasn't quite finished. Max, Tyson, Kenny, Bruce, Hiro and Hilary waited in the living room to greet the Blitzkrieg Boys, confused when they could hear barking and screeching. Hiro dreaded what pets were being brought into the building. 'Please don't let there be any spiders. I hate spiders. Scorpions too.' Tala, Brian and Ian strode into the building with blank faces that lit up when they looked around the living room. "Wow. You guys sure went the whole 9 yards. This place looks fantastic. What d'ya think Tala?" "I didn't think I'd like it but it's rather roomy. The light colours make the room look bigger and it feels more relaxing." Tyson grinned widely. "Then just wait until you see your bedrooms." Yelling and cursing could be heard outside so Hiro went to see what was up. He found Spencer struggling with what looked like a large fish tank. "Are you okay Spencer? Would you like some help?" "Does it look like I'm okay Hiro?!" "No need to snap. Geez this thing is fucking heavy. What the hell do you keep in here?" "Help me move it and you'll find out." Hiro didn't utter another word, lifting the heavy glass with all his might. On the way back in, Hiro noticed two dogs at Tala's feet, a snake around Ian's entire body and a bird of prey on Brian's shoulder. 'Okay. Brian has a falcon for a bitbeast, Ian from what I've heard owns a snake and Tala is in possession of a wolf. Now what did Spencer have again?' "Quit thinking and start hefting!" Tyson couldn't help but laugh at the look on Hiro's face as he lowered the tank to the floor. Next was the stand it sat on.

After another fifteen minutes the fish tank was set up and the water had been warmed by a little device that controlled its temperature. Spencer made several more trips out to the truck, carrying in several large boxes. Inside them were smaller containers housing warm water fish. Nobody dared go near the aquatic life forms after the look they got from Spencer. "So is that everything now?" "Yeah pretty much. Thanks a lot guys. You really didn't have to." "Kai insisted on it. Hey where is Kai? Ray's missing too." "They're probably just finishing off their jobs now Tyson. Be patient. You never told us you had pets." "We didn't think it was necessary at the time. But I suppose since you're here we might as well introduce you. These are my dogs, Czar and Lania." Tala indicated to the huskies at his ankles. Czar was grey and white while Lania was pure white with brown eyes. Czar's eyes were blue. Ian ran a hand along a length of the snake that had coiled itself around him. "This here is Kami. She won't bite so don't worry." "What kind of snake is she?" "An albino boa constrictor. She's very gentle I promise." Brian tilted his head to look up at the falcon sleeping blissfully on his right shoulder. Just looking at it you wouldn't think that such a cute bird would hunt and kill other animals. "And lastly this is my little baby Sheera. If I catch anybody attempting to touch her I will be ripping fingers away from palms. She means everything to me." Sheera stirred from her slumber when Brian shifted his shoulder a bit too quickly. "Sorry Sheera. Go back to sleep. We're home now." The present BladeBreakers soon turned to Spencer. "Sorry to disappoint you but I don't name fish. I'd have trouble remembering all of them." "What species are they?" "Warm water. I couldn't tell you their species off the top of my head I'm afraid. But I can say that most of them can be found in the Manauri Sea." "That's far away isn't it?" "Yes Tyson. Very far." "Wow. They all look right at home in there." "That's the general idea of the tank yes." "Tyson, stop acting like an idiot. Okay now I'm getting worried about Kai and Ray." Tala sighed, shifting the bag hanging from his shoulder. "Don't worry they can't have gone too far. Come on you three. Best go see what horror awaits us upstairs." Tyson being Tyson, she didn't notice the joking tone in Tala's voice.

Spencer's room was next to the stairs and Ian's was opposite him so they were the first two to discover where they'd be sleeping. Spencer looked around the room amazed that it ticked all of his boxes. Lastly his eyes rested upon the bed where Kai was sleeping. 'Bless him. He must've tired himself out.' Spencer set his bags beside the bed and gently laid down in front of Kai, pulling her slender frame closer to his rugged physique. Kai groaned at the initial contact, her grey eyes creaking open to see Spencer's bristly face beaming down at her. "Spencer is that you?" "Aye brother. What have I told you about moving heavy things by yourself?" "I didn't want to bother the others. They had their own stuff to do. And you've been busy too. It wouldn't be fair for me to ask you for help when you're tired from travelling." Spencer knew he wouldn't be able to win the argument so he let it slide, pulling Kai closer. "Thank you. It's perfect, Kai." It made Kai happy to see Spencer smiling, so happy that she smiled too, falling back into a peaceful sleep. Spencer hadn't the heart to wake Kai so he gently placed her head on the memory foam pillows and rested the sheets on Kai's weary shoulders. With Kai resting, Spencer unpacked his bags before he too needed to get some sleep due to the hectic time change. Ian liked what he saw of his room. It was dark just like he'd asked but not too dark. He had a big flat screen television to maximise his gaming experience and a top of the range computer for all his research needs. Before taking a nap, Ian thanked the others, Max especially since she'd been the one sorting the room for him in the first place. Tala was immersed in a baby blue room with mahogany woodwork and a dark orange carpet. The curtains were dark to block out light when the sun went down and came back up. Tala also had the decency to say thanks before he too had to shut his eyes from the world for a little while, resting under the icy blue bed sheets. Czar and Lania kept him company and to make sure their master wasn't disturbed. Brian was the last person to give his verdict but he'd been stunned into complete silence the second he stepped into his new bedroom. Sheera couldn't even distract him.

Ray was at the window fixing the curtains so they weren't all crumpled, unaware that Brian had walked into the room. The walls were a deep purple with what looked like grey feathers sprayed into place. The woodwork was pitch black. Under Brian's feet was a dusty blue carpet that felt really soft. The double bed was covered by burgundy sheets owning yellow patterns that looked like symbols. Russian symbols. Brian tried to get Ray's attention by clearing his throat but when that failed he resorted to slapping her ass gently though to Ray, Brian's touch was far from gentle. There was an amused look in Brian's eyes when Ray stopped stiff, looking over her tense shoulder to meet his lilac orbs. "Good afternoon Ray." "B…B…Brian? You're early." "Actually I'm on time. You are late vacating the room. Though I suppose it saves me having to go downstairs to say thanks and then come back up here so I can get some sleep. The room looks great Ray. Thanks a million." "You…you really like it?" "Yeah. It's way different to my old room. I never thought to spray feather patterns on the walls." "Kai said you liked birds so I…" "Don't worry. The room is perfect. Now take you little booty downstairs so I can get some shut eye." "Okay. I'm glad you like it Brian. I've slaved over this room for three days straight." "Then you deserve a break." To Ray's surprise, she received a brief hug from Brian before he gently pushed her out the door, leaving Ray with bright red cheeks. On her way to the stairs, Ray checked on Kai to find she and Spencer were sleeping peacefully. Ray left them alone, heading to the living room where the others were waiting for her. "So did he like it?" "Yup. What about the others?" "Tala and Ian said thanks but Spencer hasn't." "That's because he's fast asleep. Kai too." Hilary grumbled, knowing full well that Kai had disobeyed her. "I told him not to do any heavy lifting and he disobeyed me." "Relax Hilary. I'm sure Kai just didn't want to distract us from what we were doing. Is the garden done?" "Yeah. Should we hang around or go back to the dojo? I think the boys might want some time to settle down into their new home without us to bother them." "I'd say wait for Kai first. You never know how long he's going to sleep for." "That's true. Plus Ian said there was something he wanted to talk to us about."

It was decided that the team would hang around until Kai and Ian woke up, occupying themselves in quiet ways. Hilary spent a couple of hours watching Spencer's fish flying around. That was until Ian's snake poked its head up her skirt and she screamed. Tyson obviously found Hilary's reaction funny until Hiro thwacked him hard on the head, moving the albino boa constrictor away from Hilary. Ian was visible moments later, apologising about his snake getting out, asking if anyone had gotten hurt. "We're all fine physically but I think Hilary just had the shock of a lifetime." "Bad Kami. I'll go put her back upstairs." Hilary calmed down once Kami was out of sight, taking her mind off of what happened by putting the kettle on. Ian came back downstairs not long after he'd left, noticing Hilary's lack of presence. "Where'd Hilary go?" "She went into the kitchen to make some drinks." "Alright. Then I'll wait for her to get back. Hopefully before Kai wakes up. I'd rather not tell him what you're about to find out." "Because of how badly it's affected him?" "Kinda. There's a few things about Tala that have developed recently we don't want him to worry about. He's got enough shit to deal with. Namingly being turned into a busty babe." Hilary wasn't gone too long, sitting beside Hiro upon everyone receiving their drinks. "Now I must ask you guys to swear total secrecy. Most of this information I'm about to give is top secret. To us anyway. We don't want it leaking to other people we feel can't be trusted." Everyone nodded their confirmation so Ian could begin explaining things. "If we're going to get along you guys need to understand what we've been through. I heard from Brian you somehow hacked into Kai's personal file. At the end of the day, it saves me telling you. We were all abused differently but just as harsh. None of us like spiders. Well the regular house and garden variety are fine it's just the bigger ones. If Spencer even sees the leg of a tarantula he's off up the nearest mountain. And trust me, he would go that far." "You must've been scarred pretty badly for Spencer to be that frightened of something twenty times smaller than him." "Let's just say we've been bitten a lot and barely survived. You'll be comforted to know the bites weren't done on purpose though."

Everyone dreaded what Ian was about to tell them next, sipping slowly at their drinks whilst he readied the next part of his grizzly tale for innocent ears oblivious to the horrors some people go through at a young age. "Every kid at the abbey got physically abused. But me and the guys got it harder. We'd been picked at a young age to represent Russia in the world championships all those years ago. Kai of course had it the hardest with being what he is. Most boys at the abbey would bully him because of his bloodline being 'tainted' or so to speak." "I might regret asking this Ian, but in what ways were you physically harmed?" "Well Hiro you'll be very horrified at what I have to say. We were mostly whipped but on rare occasions the guards would beat us down, leaving behind broken bones that took too long to heal. Then there's the electric chair. I refuse to go into details for personal reasons." "It's alright. Take your time Ian. I understand that it wasn't easy." Hiro's calm, caring words made Ian smile and gave him the courage to carry on. "After the physical abuse there was mental torture. I'm sure some of you know various methods of how to mess with ones mind. Out of the five of us, Spencer and Brian were targeted by mental abuse the most. It's what turned Brian into a cold hearted killer before the tournament and Spencer was very distant. Kai's mentally unstable too. Drug abuse was a real killer at the abbey. I suffered very little in that area. A lot of boys died due to serious drug overdoses or being poisoned by 'accident' by the scientists." Ian made sure to emphasise the word accident since very little at the abbey was done accidentally. "I'm not entirely sure but I think Tala is the most chemically unstable out of the team. And last but not least, sexual abuse. Not a comfortable topic for many an abused child. You're all probably wondering how I'm so calm telling you all this. My foster parents had me go through vigorous counselling. Now can you guess for me which of us was sexually abused the most?" The BladeBreakers looked at each other as if to ask each other what they thought. Ray took to being the speaker. "Out of all of you, we'd have to guess it was Kai." Ian shook his head, a pained look in his blood red eyes and the gang realized what that meant. None of them could believe it. "Hard to believe isn't it? That's what my foster parents thought too."

Ian was now close to tears, the memories he'd banished were starting to resurface. Nobody really knew what to do or even say to pull Ian out of remembering the abuse he'd suffered. Hilary decided she wasn't going to let Ian go without comfort, pulling the broken young man into her arms. Ian didn't fight, surprising the others more by nuzzling his face into Hilary's breast. "It's alright. Don't force yourself to continue if it hurts. Believe it or not but I'm going to be studying psychology at university. My initial reason was to help Kai get over whatever it was that troubled him. But I think the others need it too." "I can see why Kai trusts you so much. You don't judge people by how they were raised." "No because it isn't fair. I'm also not a racist. I don't care that Ray's kind are discriminated. I see her as a person just like we are." Ian wiped his tears away, sheepishly kissing Hilary on the cheek as thanks. "You're a really nice person, Hilary. Now that you mention psychology, Tala really does need it. Hilary, I understand that you and Hiro are still fairly new to the realm of people trying to take over the world. But five years ago, before his battle with Tyson, Tala was turned part cyborg to make him stronger and emotionless. For a few months now I've had a suspicion that Boris is trying to gain control over the cyborg side of Tala. I'm not sure of his goals but Brian and Spencer have noticed changes in Tala's behaviour." "Hang on a minute Ian. If Boris is trying to gain control over Tala's body…that means he's out of prison. Doesn't it?" Ian wanted to avoid Hiro's question but he felt horrid hiding the truth. "Yes. He got out a year ago. Nobody knows how. We didn't tell Kai because we knew what would've happened. Ever since Tala started to act weird, I've been trying to remove whatever control Boris could have over him. It's not easy. One wrong move and I could kill him. Kenny, might I ask for your help? I know you mainly specialize in beyblade science but…" Kenny put a hand up to silence Ian, a smile on her face. "No worries Ian. I'll do what I can. I've been studying computer science for a little while now and Dizzi's picked up on it too. We'll do what we can." "Thank you. Sadly there's no way to remove the cyborg stuff from Tala's body completely."

Ian paused for a moment to let everyone process the information he'd given them and to listen out for the others in case they decided to wake up. When nothing moved upstairs, Ian took a big swig of his drink to thwart the dryness in his throat. "Lastly, Tala's developed a drinking problem. He's fast becoming an alcoholic and we're worried he's going to hurt himself. Or someone." "How long ago did it start?" "Not too long actually. Only about two months. Roughly a week before we came here." "Can you tell us how bad it is Ian?" "Right now it's not life threatening. I'll admit Brian goes out to the club with him but it doesn't stop Tala coming home pissed as a sewer rat. Spencer has tried telling Tala that getting drunk daily isn't good for his health but he won't listen to us. Last time he tried taking up smoking but luckily we dissuaded him from starting. I'm not sure how." Hiro took a moment to think. He hadn't seen any signs of Tala being drunk over the last month but he figured Tala was good at hiding things like that. So that Kai wouldn't flip at him. "I'm sure Tala has his reasons Ian but you're right. Sooner or later the consumption of vast quantities of alcohol will attack his organs. Mainly his liver. Is he having any relationship problems?" Ian diverted his eyes and Hiro knew he'd just touched on a very sensitive topic. "Ian, if you're uncomfortable with telling us that's fine. We're not going to pressure you." "I want to help Tala so keeping secrets won't help. Yes Tala's having some issues with his girlfriend. When they started it was great. We were happy that Tala had decided to move on with his life. But just recently, shortly before Tala started drinking heavily, he and his missus started fighting. Do you think that's what's driven him to drink?" "It could be. Or maybe it is Tala's way of dealing with the abuse you guys suffered. Either way it does have to stop. I don't mean to be intrusive but is the girl with child?" "Goodness no. If she was Tala would've jumped off of the nearest 50ft cliff." "That answered my question. Unfortunately I think that this problem would require a woman's touch." If looks could kill, Hiro would be dead. The girls all glared at him evilly. "I wasn't going to suggest that one of you should hop into bed with him if that's why you're glaring at me." "Tala wouldn't cheat on his girl. Not even when drunk."

Hiro was fast running out of ideas to solve the problem but he was stopped dead when something came tumbling down the stairs. Ian bravely went to see what it was. To his surprise he found Tala at the bottom of the stairs, his legs dangling above messy red locks. Ian cringed when he noticed the only thing supporting Tala's weight was his shoulders as he stared blankly at the wall. Czar and Lania weren't far behind, helping their master to get onto his feet. "Geez Tala you gave us all a heart attack." "Us?" "Kai's team is still here. Probably waiting for him to wake up. It's not that they don't trust us I'm sure. With how Kai is, anybody would worry." Tala had nothing to say, making his way to the kitchen. That was until he collided with something squishy. Looking down, Tala met with Hilary's ruby eyes. "Sit down." "No woman tells me what to do." "Either you sit down or I WILL drag you to that sofa by the balls. The guys know I hold to my threats. Feel free to ask them." "Get out of my way bitch. I don't want to hurt you." Hilary could've sworn that for a brief moment Tala's eyes turned red. Ian also saw the flash and he knew that Tala was becoming very unstable. "Hilary I think you should just get out of the way." "I'll be fine Ian." "No, you don't understand." Before Ian could explain, Tala pushed Hilary to the floor and continued on his way but she wasn't giving up. By now Hilary was furious, using all her weight to slam Tala onto the sofa beside Ian, eyes ablaze with anger. "Push me to the floor again and I will remove that thing between your legs. Now stay put." Sadly Tala wasn't the slightest bit intimidated, rising to his feet. "Why must you be so stubborn? SIT DOWN NOW!" Tala was the only person who didn't flinch at the tone of Hilary's voice. "I'm sorry was that supposed to scare me? You'll have to try a little harder than that." Tala soon got what he wished for when Spencer tackled him to the sofa. Waking him abruptly sure had its uses. Tala's eyes were wide with fear, his body trembling. "You should be careful what you wish for Tala. I watched you push Hilary to the ground. What's gotten into you? Normally you just walk around the person in your way." "Because you're usually the one standing between me and getting a coffee!"

Spencer's muscles tensed up when Tala's blue eyes turned to red, stepping back with his fists at the ready. He gave Ian a signal to get Brian out of bed, knowing his brute strength wouldn't be enough to hold Tala back now. "I must warn all of you to stay back. It's for your own safety. Tala you need to calm down. If you want coffee, that's fine. Sit down and we'll get it for you. Get some rest." Despite knowing that Tala was beyond being reasoned with, Spencer tried to calm him down. Without warning, Tala was sent flying into a wall as somebody landed softly beside Spencer. Nobody wanted to believe their eyes. It was Kai! "Kai? I've told you a thousand times not to use the Phoenix Dive." "Err…what's the Phoenix Dive?" Spencer wondered how quickly Tyson would start asking questions, wrapping an arm around Kai's waist to support her. "The Phoenix Dive is a Martial Arts move passed down in the Hiwatari family. It's powerful but dangerous to both user and opponent. Especially with an enormous amount of momentum. Using the Phoenix Dive puts the wielder at risk of internally harming themselves. As you can probably see by the blood marks on Tala's shirt, Kai's fingers were poised like claws. I'm just glad Kai didn't have much gravity puling him down. Otherwise Tala would undoubtedly be dead." "He's not moving." "That's because being hit by the Phoenix Dive renders you incapable of moving for a time. Right now Tala's unconscious. I'm thankful that Kai hasn't used it during training." Brian came bolting down the stairs as Spencer sat Kai down on the nearest seat. Looking from Kai to Tala, Brian could guess what had happened. "Kai are you trying to kill yourself?!" "Relax Brian. He's just a little drained. In all honesty, Tala's grown too strong for me, you and Ian to restrain. Kai is physically weak when it comes to pushing. We'd never stand a chance." "Then let us help." Spencer turned to Hiro in fright having momentarily forgotten he was there. Even after being around Hiro for a month, Spencer wasn't ready to trust him. "It's the least we can do in return, Spencer. I'm stronger than I look." "I still don't trust you." "I'm aware of that. It's why I've kept my distance and stayed silent whenever you guys are around. All I want is to earn your trust. And being silent seems to be the only way."

"Spencer." "Kai? Rest up." "Listen to me. Hiro isn't a bad guy. Okay he has his moments of being high and mighty. But over the last two years I've gotten to know the real him. If I can trust Hiro, you can. Hiro joined BEGA to train a stronger blader for Tyson to face. You remember don't you? Before my fight with Tyson two years ago?" "I don't want to remember because it was stupid and reckless." Tyson soon remembered the day she and Kai fought for the title of world champion and how dishevelled she was. "Wait a sec. Kai came into the stadium looking like he'd just been hit by a truck. What'd you do to him?!" "Please understand that we didn't want to go through with Kai's request. He wanted his match with you to be fair. You'd had a battle before hand. A tough one. Even though you would've gotten some rest in preparation, Kai still insisted that Brian and I fight him. I can't remember the outcome. I would rather not. If there's one thing I've learnt over the years it's that playing two against one isn't fair." Tyson wanted to believe she was dreaming but Spencer eyes told her that he was being sincere. Kai had fallen asleep, her head resting on Ian's shoulder. "Kai did that…for me." "Yes Tyson. If Kai was at full strength he would've won hands down. Or maybe you might've still come out on top. Either way I will admit right now that Kai underestimated you. He always did." "Spencer. I think if Kai wanted to lose to anybody, it would be Tyson." "Dad?" "Old man? What are you saying?" Bruce sat with folded arms and a smudge of pride on his face. "During their time together as a team, Kai trained Tyson to be strong. No matter who stood in Tyson's way, they bit the dust. Tyson might not be smart but he's got a lot of heart. And courage. Determination too. Kai on the other hand has a lot of pride. He was the champion before Tyson came along. For a long time too I might add. At first I can imagine it wounded Kai's pride when he first lost to Tyson. Then at the regional championships, Tyson came out on top again. Need I continue Spencer?" "I guess not Bruce. I see some sense in what you say. And I'm fairly sure the day Tyson knocked Kai down to become the world champion for the third year in a row, deep down Kai must've been proud. As I am of him. He's come a very long way since then."

Whilst Spencer vacated the room Brian dragged Tala to the sofa. Hiro could see Brian was still tired so he stopped the falcon wielder and swiftly lifted Tala into his arms. Brian wanted to hit Hiro so hard he wouldn't get back up but Ray placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Brian. We know now." "Ian you told them?!" "He meant no offense. Ian just wanted to help us to understand you guys better. Don't be mad at him. Like I said last month. We want to help you in return. If you'll only let us in. You've known me and the guys for a few years. We'd never seek to hurt you." "I'm sorry Ray I just. It's been so hard lately. Keeping Tala under control is very difficult sometimes. I've only just recovered from being thrown out of a second floor window." "By Tala I'm guessing." "Yeah. He went really berserk. I'm afraid that one day we'll end up killing him by accident." Brian suddenly broke, falling to the floor heavily. Nobody expected it. He'd always been strong around them but now he was falling apart. Having at least a little mutual affinity with Brian, Ray was the one to comfort him. "It's okay Brian. We'll do whatever it takes to help you fix Tala. I promise. I for one hold nothing against you now." Little by little Brian calmed down and soon he was back to his old self. Sort of. Bruce realised that unless the Blitzkrieg Boys got jobs, they'd struggle to survive. And these boys weren't the type to rely on others. "Y'know Brian I just realised something. How do you boys plan to pay for your living expenses?" "We already thought about that. Yes we promised to help you guys but sitting around all day doing the same things with you would drive us around the bend. Our minds need to be working on something almost constantly. In a way we're like machines. Only with the addition of needing to rest. We'll start looking for jobs that would suit us pretty soon. Give us a few days to settle in and we'll get looking." "I'll help wherever I can. I'm guessing none of you have a CV?" Brian blinked but Ian understood perfectly what Bruce was saying. "A what?" "Brian you are such an idiot. I told you ages ago that to get a job you need to build up a CV. In long, a Curriculum Vitae. In English it means 'story of my life'. Basically it's to sell yourself to the employer, telling them what skills you have. I've already got one."

Brian scratched the back of his head grumbling something about needing to wake up before his brain would function properly. Ian rolled his eyes the very moment Spencer returned with several cups on a tray. "Here Brian. I know fair well you haven't woken up yet. And if Kai doesn't have his coffee so help me he'll rip the place apart." "And Tala?" "I don't wish to remember what happened the last time. I heard talk of finding work from in here. I've been trying to write up a CV but I'm just no good on a computer. Ian's the one for that kinda thing not me. In theory, I'm all brawn no brain." "That's not true Spencer. Call it cruel but I think a warehouse job would suit you. You're built for heavy lifting right?" "And punching the life out of people who like to be cheeky. But yes I suppose you're right Maxine." Max went bright red with a nervous giggle. "Don't worry you'll live for today. But wouldn't I need certain types of licenses?" "It depends how good you are at driving." "I would rather not try navigating a warehouse like that thanks." Brian snickered and Spencer knew he'd just remembered how badly he failed his driving test. "Oh shut up Brian. Not everybody is cut out for driving. You're the one who switched the car I was supposed to be driving with that death trap!" "Death trap?" "An old Mini Cooper." "Oh one of those. Hey that's cruel!" To stop Brian from going hysteric, Spencer threatened him with a very sharp axe from the back yard. "Either you shut up, or I'm going to slip some sleeping pills into Kai's next drink, tell him you did it and let the little devil kill you with this here axe." Spencer's threat left more than a few people confused. "I should probably explain the dangers involved with slipping Kai sleeping pills. We barely made it out alive last time Ian did it. Kai wasn't getting much sleep so we had no other choice. Putting Kai to sleep is close to committing suicide." "It's that bad?" "Yes it is Tyson. And you've already seen how evil I can be if somebody wakes me up without a good reason. Especially people like Ian who do it just for fun. Being big means I need to rest more than others." To avoid being slaughtered Ian vanished upstairs and refused to come back out until Spencer calmed down.

After a couple of days the Blitzkrieg Boys had settled down in their new home. As promised, they would start looking for jobs. Ian had a head start on his team mates having already built his CV and gained experience in computer science. In fact, he'd been designing a computer game for a while and really wanted it to be a game everyone of the right age could enjoy. Kenny and Bruce helped the other three to build a decent portfolio before sending them into Japan's job market. Tala had been calm since his last incident but his drinking habits hadn't really improved. Ray could see that something was really bothering Brian on the third day of him looking for work, whisking the falcon master up to her room for a talk. "Alright what's the matter Brian? I can see that something is bothering you." "Ray it's just that. Getting jobs means we're going to meet new people. Not just men." "What are you so worried about?" "I'm not really worried as such but. There comes a time in everyone's life when they want to settle down and take it steady. For a while now I've been thinking of doing just that but. I'm not good with women." "Probably because the second you see an ass you like, you go and slap it. That's a no-no. If you need help understanding girls, I'm always happy to lend a paw." "Would you really Ray?" "Of course. You're my friend Brian and I'd hate to see you missing out when the others find girls that they like. First of all you have to take it slow. Don't rush right in there and start touching her. That's just going to make the chick think you want to whisk her off somewhere quiet. Not a good sign." "Err Ray. There's something I should probably tell you. I um. I'm still innocent." "That's fine." Brian calmed down although his heart was racing when Ray placed a hand on his leg. "Some girls actually like that. It tells them that you waited for the right person to come along. I'll be honest. I haven't had sex yet either but I've heard some good things about it. For one thing it's a good way to burn off excess calories." "It is?" "Yup. I couldn't believe it either." "I think you look fine the way you are." Brian immediately realised that his words had come out the wrong way but Ray didn't seem fazed. "Not all girls will take that lightly Brian. But thank you. Even slim girls can think they're fat ugly monsters." "What kind of girl do you think would suit me?"

Ray looked at Brian, not expecting to have been asked that question but none the less she thought about it. "Well I think you want a sensible girl. Smart but not too smart. She'd need to be somewhat understanding of how quiet you can be. There's nothing wrong with being shy. Believe it or not, I'm not really good with girls either." "No shit? To me you're the kinda guy who would always be sweet talking the ladies." "Being a Neko-Jin has it's quirks. We're shy by nature and fearful of how people see us. Never mind me; I'm trying to help you. As for hair and eyes, I'd say a dark brunette with light coloured eyes but not too bright. You're a fan of plump assets. A lot of men are like that so I'm going to have fun. To satisfy you're curiosity Brian I'm a 38E at the most." "I never said I was interested." "Your eyes betrayed you. Anyway back to prescribing the right girl for you. Since you are quite tall I'd say the right candidate would need to be at least 5ft tall." "I'm about 5'01 actually." "You look taller. Any racial preference?" Brian looked away, not wanting to offend Ray. "Come on. I know you're not a racist person. Be honest." "Well. I kinda like Neko-Jin girls. Looking at you got me thinking maybe they're all that cute." "Brian. Listen closely to what I'm about to say. Neko-Jin women are very picky. You'll be lucky if one even looks your way. I'm not trying to put you off. I just don't want to see you get hurt by catching the wrong one. I'm pleasant because I wasn't always a girl. But try and sneak food while I'm cooking and you WILL be sorry. Others are a little more open about their racial likings. But yes a lot of girls of Neko-Jin heritage are attractive. But not all of them have enormous breasts like mine. Must I pick a race for you other than Russian?" "Other than your kind and Russian girls I have a soft spot for Spanish chicks. If anything I'd say it's their tanned skin that I like the most." "That's fine. With that out of the way you need to learn how to treat a girl. You can't be punching her in the arm playfully. She'll take offense and get bruised very easily. In a way, girls are like plants and fish. You have to be gentle with them otherwise they'll die. And you'll have to ease off with the eyes, speak softly and don't ogle at...Brian!"

Downstairs, Spencer was just finishing his CV with Kenny's help when he heard Ray yelling at Brian to get his attention away from her breasts. Tala was patiently waiting for Spencer to be done so they could hit the town. "Is Ray alright up there?" "I'm sure she's fine Kenny. Brian wouldn't dare to try anything. Most times he prefers to look rather than touch. So are we done now Chief?" "I'd say so. Good luck finding the right jobs. I've emailed your CVs to Bruce and he'll pass them on to Mr.D. That way more people will know you're looking for work. Especially those who don't like to advertise." "Alright Chief. I'll go get Brian then we can head out. Ian's already got a flying start on us." "Don't feel bad Spencer. You'll catch up. Your little buddy is looking in a hard field to get into." With a smile, Spencer gave Kenny's shoulder a light squeeze before taking a trip upstairs to fetch Brian. He returned dragging his lilac haired team mate by the ear. Kenny was somewhat relieved to see them go. "Look out world. Here comes trouble." "Hey Kenny. You look a bit too happy there." "Sorry Bruce. I'm just glad to send them off and start their lives over. But most of all I want Kai to be proud of them." "Yeah me too. So you're warning the world that they're out there huh? That's very decent of you." "It's the least I could do. I did suggest to Spencer that they shouldn't all work for the same company. To help them be more independent." "What did he say?" "That is was a good idea. Especially for Brian since he's got many more barriers. How are the others doing?" "Hilary's teaching Tyson and Max about the birds and the bees. Kai and Ray skipped of course. They're already grown up. But I think Kai feels more for Spencer. I'm not sure if Spencer's seen it yet but Kai's been giving off little hints that he wants to be more than brothers." "Guess I'm next then. Unfortunately." Bruce could hear the lack of motivation in Kenny's voice, clapping her gently on the back. He soon vanished into the garden to have some thinking time. Once again Hiro was on guard duty outside the room Hilary was teaching in. Shortly after Hilary finished grilling Tyson for not paying attention, a good looking chap walked in through the front gate. He was roughly seventeen years old with strikingly gorgeous brown eyes and hazel coloured hair reaching his lower back. The last feature to take note of was his bronze skin that shimmered in the light.

The boy had a bag over his shoulder so he was clearly a student of some kind. "Can I help you young man?" "Pardon my poor manners. I'm looking for Hilary Tachibana. I was told she could be found here." "Just a moment I'll go get her. Sit yourself down in the sitting room whilst you're waiting." "Thank you." Bruce smiled warmly, heading off to distract Hilary from tearing Tyson to shreds. She was rather surprised to have a visitor. "Kenshiro, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" "Hilary. It's wonderful to see you again. I need some help with my homework and wanted to know if you could help. Your mom said you've been coming here a lot over the last month. Is something wrong?" "No nothing's wrong Ken. What are you stuck on?" Kenshiro was about to pull a folder out of his bag when he noticed Ray trying to sneak by into the kitchen. "Oh hello there. I don't believe we've met before." In a flash Ray was gone and Kenshiro was left confused. "I'm sorry about that Kenshiro. She's a little shy." "That's okay. There's one part of my psychology homework that I really don't understand. You're the best in class." "I'm glad to hear you think so highly of me Kenshiro." Hilary let out a playful shriek when Kenshiro pulled her into a hug. They seemed to be more than just friends. Sadly to the others it sounded like Hilary was in trouble so they all appeared from hiding, with the exception of Kai for the time being. "Um…Hilary." "What is it Ken? Oh! Good grief! What have I told you about sneaking up on me? Go on, back to whatever it is you were doing." "But Hilary, we thought you were in danger." Kenshiro cleared his throat and Hilary knew he wanted answers. "So who are all your girl friends?" "Just friends." "I think they're more than that Hilary. I've not seen much of your team but these girls look just like them." "Well not everybody knows that my boys have sisters." "Sisters? So does that mean…?" "Yes most unfortunately." The young lady in debate soon appeared, her face hard as stone. Sadly it didn't dissuade Kenshiro from looking. "Well hello there." "Touch me and you'll be in pain for a week."

Kenshiro was very tempted to reach out and touch Kai but Hilary held him back the best she could, anger in her eyes that corrected him almost instantly. Kai on the other hand knew something was going on. "Hilary, is there something you're not telling us?" "Of course there isn't." "Stop lying. You suck at it." "Kaira, that's enough. Just go and get your afternoon coffee. Hey! Unhand me this instant!" Kai signalled for the others to follow her leaving Kenshiro to fume. Hilary was also enraged beyond belief but she kept her voice low. "What the hell are you playing at Kai?!" "Who is he?" "Kenshiro? He's just a friend from school. I mean college." "Hilary I told you to stop lying. He's your boyfriend isn't he? And you never told us." Tears began to build in Hilary's eyes and Ray knew Kai had just gone too far. "Kai that's enough. This is probably why Hilary kept it quiet. I'm sure Hilary didn't want to keep it secret but you would've flipped the second she said the words. We all want to protect Hilary but being angry won't help at all. She just wants to have a normal life for once. Being with us has put Hilary in danger more times than I would like to count. Even now she's at risk. Nothing is normal in our world." "Ray's right Kai. Cut Hilary some slack. There's probably a lot she and Kenshiro could've done together these last few months but instead we were put first. Hilary, from now on, put your love life before us. We're okay now." "But there's still so much I have to teach you guys." Max silenced Hilary by placing a finger to her lips. "I don't want to hear it. Of course that doesn't mean Kenshiro can come over every day of the week. We need some peace to be ourselves." "Thank you Max. I'm glad you understand. It's true that I had planned to do things with Kenshiro before you were attacked. He's really quite sweet. I just ask that you give him a chance. He was new in town two years ago and we kinda stuck together. Now please be nice to him. But I'll have to call you all by different names." "Well me and Kai have ours." Max was joking about when Spencer called her Maxine but the name had stuck fast. "It just leaves Ray, Tyson and Kenny." "Hm. I think Kelsey will do for Kenny. Tyra for Tyson and I think Raine would suit Ray nicely." Nobody had any objections. Well nobody who was Kai. She decided to disappear but not before warning Kenshiro about harming Hilary or the others, grabbing him fiercely by the balls but that only seemed to excite him.

"Quite a feisty one isn't she that Kaira." "Volatile more like. She could do worse." "I'm sure she could. Hilary, if I'm interrupting anything just let me know." "No it's alright. Besides we haven't seen each other for a while. I've done my college work at home. The girls were new in town so I was asked to help get them settled in. The boys are away training right now on some distant mountain out of the country." 'How I really wish that was true. It pains me to tell these horrid lies.' "So they asked the girls to come and look after things here?" "That's the gist of it. I'll introduce you all another time. They've got other things to do. Why don't we go to my place where it's quieter?" "I'd like that. It was nice meeting you girls. And I hope we can be friends. I'm sure it's what Hilary would want." "Just keep Kaira's warning in mind, Kenshiro. And we'll be just fine." To avoid any further conflict Hilary took Kenshiro away from the dojo. Hiro had miraculously stayed hidden so he didn't really know what was going on. "Okay what just happened guys?" "We just found out Hilary has a boyfriend and she never told us. As you can guess Kai didn't take it very well. He's a handsome devil though. Quite the catch." "Max!" "What? I would like to settle down at some point." Oddly Hiro felt like a knife had just been ripped through his heart when he heard Max calling Kenshiro handsome. Ever since Max had been transformed from a buff boy to a busty girl Hiro had been feeling funny. Looking at her made his heart leap for the heavens. And the way she dressed really wasn't helping either. The girls found it odd when Hiro walked away. Only Bruce understood Hiro's actions. 'My boy is in love with his team mate. I won't deny that she is a beauty. Maybe I should try talking to Max. Oh what's this? Now Max is heading off. This is my chance.' Without being seen, Bruce made his way around to the engowa where Max chose to sit. There was a lost look in her eyes that Bruce had the feeling he'd see. "Hey Maxie. You feeling okay chum?" "Bruce? I don't know. Hiro looked a little upset back there. About what I said."

Bruce sat beside Max slowly and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. It would be hard for him not to give the wrong impression when explaining why Hiro had left the way he did. But he felt that Max already partially understood. "Don't feel guilty Max. Kenshiro is a fine looking young man. I think Hiro might be hoping someone would say that about him one day. He's getting attached to you Max." "What do you mean Bruce? Hiro always keeps his distance from me." "Because he's attracted to you. I'm not denying anything when I say you've become a very sexy young lady. It's true. But Hiro keeps away because he's afraid of hurting you. I know this isn't my place Max but it doesn't look like Hiro will tell you himself. Hiro's like his mother. She was very shy about her feelings. You're probably wondering where she is. Daisy passed away when Tyson was still a baby. She'd contracted some sort of illness whilst giving birth. Poor girl was forbidden to feed him the way nature intended when humans were created." "Breast feeding in other words." "Yes. I just couldn't bring myself to say it that way. Forgive me. I'm getting old now. I doubt I'll find another lover to hold. But I want what's best for my children. Is there anything you want to talk about Max?" "Well I still haven't told my parents about this free sex change. But other than that I don't know. Something has been growing in me for a while now. I'm not sure when it started but. Looking at Hiro hurts. Back when I was a boy I always told myself that it wasn't love. I always considered myself to be straight. Always trying to impress the girls. Sure I have fans. The only problem is none of them genuinely love me for who I am as a person." "Then perhaps you should follow your heart Max. Let it guide you." Something in Bruce's words made Max smile as she cuddled closer to him. Bruce was a little stunned to say the least. "You're a great dad Bruce. Tyson's very lucky to have you as his father. Hiro too." "Thank you Max. That's very sweet. And your parents are lucky to have a daughter like you. To be truthful I've always wanted a little girl. It would've made Daisy very happy to have one of each. Call me a sentimental fool but every now and again I remember when Hiro was born. I see it in my dreams. Daisy was here in Japan whilst I was out of the country."

Bruce shuffled a little to get more comfortable, looking out at the garden with a measure of pride. "She planted all of these flowers. Every last one of them. Even the cherry blossom out front. We were only children when she got the seedling. Nothing could separate us. I wanted to be there for the birth of my first child. I really did but the flight to get me home in time kept getting delayed. In the end I gave up hoping. Dad was by Daisy's side all the way through the labour." "What about her parents? Where were they?" "Daisy's family moved out of Japan when she married me. Not to disown her. Daisy's parents loved her. She was their only child. Daisy kept them updated. They were not at all amused to hear I was out of the country when Hiro came into this world. I tried to make them see that I did everything in my power to get home. After that day they tried to get us to split up." "That's horrible. Daisy must've felt really bad about how her parents treated you." "Yes she did. Well guessed. Daisy understood that my job took me to far away places. Normally I would take her along but I couldn't risk her going into labour on the plane ride home. And passing up the job would've gotten me fired. In all honesty I wanted to stay home and look after Daisy but she wanted me to enjoy life. I think dad said she was just cooking dinner when she started contracting." Max soon realised that Bruce had said nothing about his mother and he seemed to pick up on that. "My mother left me at a young age. I was no older than five or six. Even to this day I don't know why my mom left me behind. She must've had a good reason I'm sure." "But if she did, Grandpa would tell you. Don't you think?" Bruce opened his mouth to say something but a familiar hip old voice beat him to the liqueur jar. "I'm sorry to interrupt your little heart to heart Bruce but Max is right. I would've told you if your mother left with good reason. But I lied. I'm sorry m'boy but you were too young to understand. And you never asked after that. You always hoped that someday she would come back. This lil' bit o' truth might be hard to swallow Bruce but Hayley never wanted you. In fact, you weren't the first child she carried. She selfishly wanted a girl. All the others were boys too."

Grandpa Granger lowered himself to sit by Bruce, guilt written all over his face at having lied for so many years to his only son. Yet Bruce didn't look angry. It pained him to remember the only woman he'd ever loved. "I had to fight with Hayley for her to keep you. It wasn't fair for her to abort all the sons I could've had. Her parents agreed with me. Don't get me wrong, a girl would've been okay by me. I didn't care what Hayley had. But she was spiteful most days. Especially when you were growing up." "I have very few memories of mom. Is that why? Because she never wanted me?" "I'm afraid so Bruce. I feared that she'd try to kill you so I moved away here to the family home. My mother and father welcomed us with open arms. They adored you. I'll never forget the smiles on their faces the day they met you for the first time. Then came the day your mother wanted a divorce eight years later. In secret, we tried for another child. I wanted Hayley to be happy. But I later found out she was cheating on me with some random dude she worked with. I couldn't tell you that. So I worked up the courage to lie to you about your mother needing her space. But there's something Daisy never told you m'boy." "Dad? Don't tell me. There was somebody else in her life too. Wasn't there?" Grandpa Granger sternly took hold of Bruce's shoulders, tears now streaming down his tired old cheeks. "No Bruce. Daisy never told you she was having twins. Hiro has a sister." "Why didn't she say anything about this to me?" "Daisy didn't want you to worry about her more than you already did. The poor thing was so tired from bringing two baby Grangers into the world I had to look after them for her. After a day or two, Daisy had enough strength to hold them separately. I was going to tell you that day about her having twins but we were horrified when the sun came up to find your daughter had been stolen from her crib. I have a hunch it was Hayley that took her. I'd seen my old spouse wandering around the hospital. She was watching. When everybody let their guard down at night she snuck off with little Sophie. I haven't seen her since. I never told Daisy that it was your mother who took Sophie. For twenty years I've felt guilty that I couldn't protect my granddaughter. And I dreaded the day when I would finally have to tell you."

Despite having learnt the full truth, Bruce couldn't bring himself to hate the old man. He'd always been there when Bruce needed help with the boys. They both seemed to have forgotten that Max was still there. She moved off quietly to let them be alone. It was a moment that Max didn't want to ruin for them. "I'm not mad at you dad. You did all that to protect me. I'm a lucky man, to have a father like you watching out for me. Hiro and Tyson are lucky too." "Bruce my days are ending. The doctor says that my body is giving up. He doesn't know when my expiry date will come. But you should be ready for it. And I don't want you to tell Tyson. Or Hiro. They've got enough to deal with right now. I see you told Max about Hiro's feelings." "Well Hiro won't come out of his shell. Does he know about Sophie?" "No. Daisy never told him." "Do you think we should?" "I'm not sure m'boy. There's no telling what he'd do if we did. Somehow I don't think that Hayley will be able to live the lie she's woven for much longer. Let Sophie come to us. Twenty years of lying is enough to make anyone feel guilty. I know Hayley is still alive because she got married after leaving me. I've been looking for her name in the paper for years. And I think her mother would tell me. Oddly I was happy to hear Hayley had found another man. I thought that maybe he could give her what she desperately wanted." A gentle wind whistled through the yard, kissing Grandpa Granger's cheeks. "Just know one thing Bruce. I won't really be gone. Just like Daisy is still here with us." Grandpa Granger started to close his eyes slowly, feeling the beating of his heart slowing down. "Dad? Are you okay?" "I'm just tired Bruce m'boy. I'll always be with you so long as you remember who you are. When I go this dojo is yours. And I want her to stay in the family y'hear me." "Yes I understand father." "There's a good boy. Now sit still so your old man can rest his head on your shoulder. I'll miss this place I really will. It's been my home for decades." "I'll take good care of it. I promise." Grandpa Granger finally closed his eyes and with a soft sigh, he went to sleep. Half an hour slipped by and Bruce grew worried. "Dad we should go inside now. Come on. Dad?" Bruce felt for a pulse but he felt none. "No not now. I'm not ready."

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Okay so the Demolition Boys are now living in Japan and Grandpa Granger has been disposed of (truth is I cried when writing this so you can't say I'm heartless.) What will happen next? I can tell you one thing...I'm predictable! I'll bet my friend Dancing Peacock (formerly Fragrant Rose/Wild Innocence) will know exactly what went on through my head as I wrote the next chapter.

Please R&R. I really appreciate the feedback


	4. Interviews and Abuse

So here's chapter four. As the title suggests, there is some abuse in this chapter. Not much to say other than read onwards. And I don't own Beyblade (should've done that in chapter one but I really just want to get this uploaded)

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4

Inside the dojo, everyone was unaware that Grandpa Granger had just passed away. Kai came out of her room and went outside for some fresh air. She was calm about being in the garden since Tala gave them the all clear. Kai just so happened to pick the back yard, a pair of sandals on her feet. She looked around a bit and was about to sit down when she caught sight of Bruce laying his father's body by the pond. Fearing something was wrong Kai ran over with all her speed but she stopped a few centimetres away. The old mans' face was already growing pale and he seemed to be at peace. "Bruce. What's wrong? Is Grandpa okay?" Kai's suspicions were confirmed when Bruce looked up at her. "Kai. Gather the others in the family room. Please. I need to be alone with him." "I understand. He was a good man. I'm sorry to see him go like this." "He only told me half an hour ago that he didn't have long left. Kai." "Hm?" Kai turned around as she'd just started walking back to the dojo. "What is it Bruce?" "Do you…do you think it hurt him to die?" "No. By the look on his face he died a proud and happy man. And you know something Bruce? You're the one who made him proud. If people could choose their family, I would've picked him to be my grandfather." Bruce signalled for Kai to come closer and she nervously did just that only to pulled down into Bruce's strong arms. Kai didn't know where to put herself as Bruce wept into her shoulder but instead of walking away, she gave Bruce the comfort he was seeking. "I'm sorry Kai. I just need to hold somebody right now." "I understand. I felt the same way when my mother left me. She did it to protect me. Come on he wouldn't want this. Grandpa Granger would want you to be strong and hold your head up high. I'll help with the funeral costs. It's the very least I can do after everything your father has done for me." Kai softly stroked the back of Bruce's unruly hair just as Ray grew curious. Kai gave her one look and she knew to gather the others. Kai doubted Hilary would be back for a while. But too many crying women would give Kai a headache.

It seemed like years flew by as Kai held Bruce in her arms. She allowed two silver tears to break free, slipping down into Bruce's jet black hair. Back inside, Ray was busy getting everyone to sit around the coffee table, trying her hardest not to let any sadness show. Ray's eyes betrayed her when she went to fetch Hiro from his room. "Ray what's going on?" "Hiro, Bruce needs everyone in the family room immediately." "Is he alright?" Ray's hesitance to answer set the warning bells off in Hiro's head. Ray tried to stop Hiro but she wasn't strong enough. Hiro didn't care about getting grass stains on his socks as he ran outside with no shoes on. He immediately found Kai and Bruce off to the far left with Grandpa Granger's body. Even from where he stood Hiro could tell his grandfather had left the human realm. Seeing Bruce weeping into Kai's shirt confirmed what he was seeing. "Grandpa no!" Kai had no chance to react as Hiro was by the pond in mere seconds. Hiro's cry drew the others outside and they too were finding it hard to believe. Knowing the others had found out so soon made Kai feel like she'd betrayed Bruce's trust. "It's not your fault Kai. It had to happen one day. Hiro you mustn't move the body. Please. Let him rest. He deserves it after all he's done." "How can you be so calm about this?!" "Because I knew your grandfather was going to pass away soon. He told me half an hour before his time on earth ran out. Hiro, do you remember where your mother is buried?" "What's that got to do with this?!" "I want my father to rest beside her. Dad helped your mother to bring you into this world. I couldn't make it. My flight constantly kept getting delayed." Hiro swallowed thickly, calming down enough to relieve Kai of a weeping old man. "She's over by the Butterfly Bush. How did he go?" "In his sleep next to me. Smiling just like he is now." "Dad he's not smiling." "Yes. Yes he is. Up there looking down on us." Bruce turned his gaze to the sky above where stars were beginning to shine. Two stars shone the brightest and they were right above Grandpa Granger's body. "No matter where we go, Hiro. My father is always with us. He'll be the wind in the trees, the fish in this pond. Just never forget who you are. And he'll be there."

A couple of hours later the Blitzkrieg Boys returned to find a morbid atmosphere had a hold on the dojo. Stepping inside they found Hilary clinging to Bruce tightly as they both cried. Looking around the room, every member of the team had red eyes to show that they had also been crying. "I guess we probably don't want to ask what happened in here?" In place of words, Kai took his Russian brothers to the back yard where Grandpa Granger was resting and they understood immediately. The others arrived only to have a shock. All five Russians had gotten onto their knees in silent prayer for the old man's spirit to find peace on the other side. Kai was the first to notice his team looking confused. "It's a tradition we have back home. Whenever a boy died at the abbey, we made a silent prayer for their soul to find peace in the afterlife. But we'll only do it if we're together." "Can we try it Kai?" "Sure. It's easy to do. Just kneel down, close your eyes and send your prayer." As instructed, the patchwork family knelt down beside the Blitzkrieg Boys, lowered their heads with eyes closed and sent a wordless prayer to the old man that had looked after them. No words were said until everyone was inside. Tyson and Hiro were very surprised when the Blitz Boys gave their condolences to the family. Out of respect the Russians went back to their home so the BladeBreakers could mourn in peace. Kai stayed up late into the night, unable to sleep. Her dreams were haunted by the fear of losing somebody else she'd gotten close to. Grandpa Granger's body had been taken to the morgue for examination before it would be released for burial. All of Bruce's relatives had been informed and they were on their way. Kai had discussed the arrangements for the funeral with Bruce away from the others so not to upset them further. Grandpa's grave had been marked out under the Butterfly Bush next to where Tyson and Hiro's mother was resting. To keep herself occupied, Kai began digging the grave by herself. The upturned dirt was placed onto a plastic sheet so it could be easily replaced. Tears streamed down Kai's face as she dug and dug until she could dig no more, her legs weak. A calm, warm breeze embraced Kai's body and she smiled. "Don't you worry old man. I'll be okay. I'll have this grave dug by morning or my name isn't Kai Hiwatari."

Nobody wanted to get up when the birds sang their sad song. Ray took it upon herself to get the team out of bed at 8am. Ray hesitated at Kai's door, knowing she wouldn't like being woken. A feeling of panic struck Ray when she couldn't find Kai in her room. She looked everywhere Kai hid nowadays but to no avail. "Ray's what's wrong?" "Hiro, Kai's gone missing." "Have you called the Blitz Boys?" "No I daren't wake them." "Well no need. We're here but I'm afraid Kai isn't with us." Ray jumped a mile, turning in a snap to see four tired Russian men. "Knowing Kai he's probably been up all night doing something to keep his mind occupied. Have you tried the back garden?" "No. I didn't think to check." Hiro was about to say something but Max beat him to it, calling from the kitchen window. "Ray, you'd better come see this." There was worry in Max's voice that made Ray hurry. She gasped in shock at seeing Kai outside, sleeping next to a 6ft deep grave, shovel tucked tightly to her body. She looked tired. "Is Kai crazy or just plain stupid?" "What's going on? Good heavens! Dad!" The dojo suddenly sprung into action when the others found out Kai had been outside all night. Bruce wasn't angry with what Kai had done. In fact, he was proud and grateful. "Don't be mad at him, guys. Kai just wants to help. Hiro, bring Kai inside." "You'll be wise to remove the shovel first. Don't want any accidents." Hiro grumbled something under his breath in Japanese so the Blitzkrieg Boys couldn't understand him. He returned minutes later with Kai sleeping happily in his arms. Kai was taken to her room to rest and Spencer went to keep an eye on her. Worry was evident on every face visible. Hilary arrived at just after 9am looking like a panda. "Hilary. You didn't have to come." "I wanted to. Kenshiro knows I wish to be alone with you lot for a few days so you won't be seeing him. Where's Kai?" "He was up all night digging Grandpa's grave for him." "What?!" "We found him outside this morning sleeping next to it. I still don't know what possessed Kai to do it." Bruce placed a hand on Tyson's quivering shoulder. She was still finding it hard to believe that her grandfather was gone. Everyone hoped Kai wouldn't strain herself doing more.

After a day or two the morgue released Grandpa Granger's body. Kai had given everyone a fright by vanishing the day she'd been discovered by the freshly dug grave only to return with Grandpa Granger's body in a handmade coffin in the back of Brian's truck. Well the others didn't know it was handmade until Spencer forced the truth out of Kai. It was just how Bruce wanted it. Ray and the others did what they could to help in preparation for the funeral. Every Granger present thanked Kai for everything after the service. Kai's excuse was that she just wanted to do everything she could for the family. She even shovelled the dirt back into the hole once Grandpa Granger was resting at the bottom, refusing to let anyone who wasn't Bruce or Hiro near to help. With the funeral over, the dojo became rather empty. Instead of going home, the Blitzkrieg Boys stayed to help tidy up. Kai had all but vanished. Hilary found her sitting between the two graves. She was grieving again. "Hey Kai. Aren't you cold out here?" "No not really. I'm sorry I made you guys worry. I just wanted to help." "It's okay Kai. The others aren't angry anymore. We understand how you must be feeling. Grandpa Granger had a big impact on your life." "He was like the father I never really had. My biggest crime is not letting him know how much I cared." "None of us were ready to say goodbye to Grandpa. He was so full of life wasn't he? Never letting anything slow him down. I'll miss him. We all will." "But like Bruce said. So long as we remember who we are, Grandpa will always be with us. For better or worse. When I was digging this grave for him, my legs gave up. He came and soothed me. But I kept digging. I had to. And I cut myself engraving the coffin. He was there for me then too as I cleaned the wound and bandaged it." "Kai you never told us you were hurt." "I'm okay. It's just a scratch." "What did you write? I couldn't read it." "I don't know why but Bruce requested for there to be Russian engravings on the coffin. I guess he knew I'd go ahead and do everything myself." "Tell me. What did you write?" "Mostly our last wishes for him to rest in peace. But on the lid I added something of my own. In a way I finally got to thank him for everything. I wrote that he was the best grandfather any child could've asked for and that we will all miss him."

Hilary felt a lump growing in her throat at Kai's words. Hiro grew worried about the two missing girls but upon finding them mourning together in the back yard, Hiro decided it was best to leave the pair alone. The moon shone brightly above the Granger dojo, soothing the wounded hearts resting inside. At the house of Blitzkrieg, only Tala was sleeping. The sudden death of Grandpa Granger shocked them badly. "If only they knew we've fallen apart too. The old man was kind to us. For once I actually felt like we'd found where we belong." It was Spencer to have spoken, sipping at a cup of hot chocolate. "Yeah me too Spence." Brian was in agreement along with Ian. They were sure Tala felt the same way but chose to grieve alone. "Hey Spencer, I've noticed something lately. With Kai." "What is it Ian?" "Well I'm not fully certain if what I've seen is right but I think he has stronger feelings for you." "Don't be ridiculous Ian. Kai's straight and you know it." "Technically he still is. Being a girl and all. But I said I'm not really sure. He just seems to be acting differently." "I'll keep an eye on him for any unusual behaviour. Any luck finding a job?" Spencer directed his curiosity at Ian. "I'm afraid not. But I'm not giving up. How about you guys?" Brian shook his head negatively as did Spencer. "Keep it up. We'll get there some day. I'll admit, it's easier here because nobody knows who we are and what we've been through. The people back home were rather nervous of us. Well I'm gonna turn in now. I'm beat from all this grieving. See you in the morning fellas." "G'night Ian." "Night little bro." "Don't stay up too long. You know it won't please Tala." Brian and Spencer nodded as they watched Ian heading up to his room, closing the door with a gentle click. Brian finished his drink and washed the cup out in the kitchen. "I'm gonna hit the sack too." "Alright Brian. I won't be much longer." "You're worried that Ian's right aren't you?" Spencer sighed. There was no hiding anything from Brian. He could see right through most people and know what they're feeling. "Don't worry Spencer. We'll find a way to change them back. After all we did promise them to do everything in our power to help." "Yeah. In the morning Brian." With a small smile, Brian turned in, leaving Spencer to think. 'Kai.'

About a week went by after the funeral of Grandpa Granger. Most things had returned to normal but the lack of his presence weighed heavily upon the people who knew and loved him. Bruce was almost tirelessly searching for Sophie, the daughter he'd never met. At the end of the week, the Blitzkrieg Boys all had interviews. Unfortunately for them, Kai knew better than anyone that they were nervous as hell. Minus Ian. He seemed perfectly fine about meeting a total stranger. Surprisingly, they had been allowed to choose where their interview would take place. Tala's would be at the dojo for safety measures, Ian typically picked a game shop for his, Spencer was taking his interviewer out to dinner and Brian would just be in a room alone with the person interviewing him. Spencer was the only one with a female interviewer so far but just to be safe, the others were put through mock interviews with Bruce and Hilary. Despite Hiro being a more suitable candidate. They even practised for the rare case of having three interviewers at the same time. After a long day of being taught the proper behaviour for an interview the Russian men relaxed at the dojo. It was early evening so Ray was in the kitchen. Hilary had been told to take a break and visit her boyfriend. Despite not having done much, Kai was flat out, sleeping on the couch next to a groggy Spencer. Everyone had noticed that since becoming a girl, Tyson's appetite had gone down a fair bit and she was even losing weight. She and the others now sounded more like girls after their voices broke. Kai had gotten used to her new voice but she rarely used it. However, Tyson's impatience hadn't changed. "Aww c'mon Ray! What's taking you so long?!" "Tyson, Ray's been on her feet most of the day running after us. Cut the poor girl some slack. For all we know she could be trying something new." To try and stop Tyson complaining, Brian bravely journeyed into the kitchen. He himself was a disaster when it came to cooking. Brian found Ray looking at a book whilst stirring something in a saucepan. "Ray? Are you alright?" "Hm? Oh hey Brian. I'm just teaching myself some new skills." "How so?" In response, Ray held up the book she was reading. To Brian's amazement it was a cookbook on Russian cuisine. He immediately figured she was doing it for him and his team.

"Ray you didn't have to. We like the things you cook." "It's alright Brian. I've wanted to try cooking a Russian dish for some time now. Ever since I had my first taste of soviet food five years ago." "You really are a sweetheart sometimes. I mean that." "Well I try. It shouldn't be much longer now so tell Tyson to stop complaining. Or would you like to help me?" Brian backed away, hands raised somewhat defensively. "I'll pass thanks. I don't think Bruce would be happy if he had to buy a new kitchen. Last time I tried cooking we were almost made homeless." Ray sighed, allowing Brian to leave and shut Tyson's mouth. She shook her head when whining and banging came from the other room. 'Some things will never change it seems. I should teach them one at a time so that they don't risk burning the house down. I'm happy that they've grown to like the meals I make. I'm guessing that Boris led them to believe that most foreign food is poisonous. The fact that the boys are still alive should tell them that's a lie. Either it's me or Brian's getting rather attached to me. I must be imagining things. Brian's just a friend and I don't see him that way.' It wasn't long before Ray had served up everyone's meals, calling the hoard into the dining room to eat. To start with was an odd dish the Russians recognized as Bulgur Wheat Kasha with some sweet blinis. For dessert Ray served up some Russian Chuk-Chuk. After everyone had eaten the surprised Russians cornered Ray about the sudden change of cuisine. "Now guys. Try not to kill me." "This is rather unusual Ray. But thanks. We do miss the meals we had at home and with everything that's happened recently, this was just what we needed." Ray sighed in relief, grateful that Spencer wasn't going to kill her. "Out of curiosity Ray, what made you try Russian cuisine?" "Well Spencer I've always wanted to try cooking a Russian dish for myself. I never really got chance with the tournaments and everything. I'm glad to hear you liked it." "Just a little less sugar in the Chuk-Chuk next time. Otherwise Ian will be on a sugar high as will Max." "I'll do my best Spencer." With their opinion given the Blitzkrieg Boys dispersed to do whatever helped to keep them occupied.

The next few days held no surprises and soon the Blitzkrieg Boys were due for their interviews. Luckily they were all on separate days. Ian's was first since he was the most confident. He was gone for about an hour at the least and reported upon his return that he got the job. Luckily his interviewer had been a big fan of the same games Ian played. The other interviews would be more sensitive. Spencer's interview was up second so he had to dress super smart. Bruce had an old suit that fit him perfectly, saving Kai from paying for one. Spencer was also given enough money to cover the costs of the meal and anything else included. At 12noon on Tuesday Spencer was standing outside a really posh restaurant waiting for his interviewer. To his surprise, when a fancy car pulled up, two women got out of it. 'Great. Two female interviewers. Hey wait a sec. One of them looks like Hiro.' Spencer kept his thoughts to himself as he greeted the women. One was indeed Hiro's twin only she looked volatile, likely to snap at any given second. Spencer diverted his attention away from the straining shirt covering large breasts, possibly a similar size to Kai's. The second woman was tall, up to Spencer's shoulder with mid back length red jasper hair and periwinkle eyes. She too was fairly busty but not so much as her companion. "Spencer Petrov I assume?" "Yes ma'am. You must Ms. Masamune?" "I am indeed. Shall we go in?" "After you." Spencer received bad vibes from the woman who looked like Hiro as she didn't thank him for being so polite. The red haired maiden however was more than grateful. "Thank you Mr. Petrov. I'm sorry about Sophie. She's had it hard since inheriting the company from her father." "I understand the stress of inheriting something one doesn't want. Let's not keep her waiting." "Of course." With no further words Spencer followed the short skirt wearing women inside. 'God help me if the media sees this. I'll never hear the end of it.' After sitting down, Spencer allowed the girls to pick their meals first, unfamiliar with the meals on the menu. His confusion amused the woman with periwinkle eyes. "I guess you're not used to places like this?" "Not really. I prefer to cook my own meals. Plus it's a welcome distraction from the hell that is my patchwork family." "You must have a lot of fun." "A bit. Guess I'll play it safe with the steak."

Spencer found the red haired lass to be rather odd as she chuckled at his selection yet he felt she meant no harm. "You should try the lamb shank. It's very tender at best." "Alright I'll take that then. Though I doubt I can get used to such places." With the orders placed for the main course the real interview began whilst they waited. Spencer had been warned that some interviewers could be intimidating and Ms. Masamune was one of them. His nerves were put to the test almost immediately. Spencer wasn't sure why he was so nervous of a woman who nary had half the strength he did. He was relieved when the girls went to the bathroom, probably to discuss things out of earshot. Not long after they left Spencer felt like somebody was watching him. Looking around, Spencer saw Bruce talking with a team he hardly recognized. Hiro was with him. Bruce gave a cheeky little wave and Spencer gave him a sign that said 'you're dead later on' but the man just chuckled. The team just so happened to be the White Tigers. They too barely recognized Spencer as he exchanged pleasantries with the returning women. Bruce sniggered, intending to jab Spencer about his misfortune later. "You really shouldn't poke fun at Spencer, dad. He can snap you clean in half." "Oh c'mon Hiro. You know he's going to tease the others so it's only fair he gets his share." Hiro rolled his eyes and sipped at his glass of white wine. Bruce could see Lee's mild confusion. "You remember the Blitzkrieg Boys don't you Lee?" "Hm? Oh those guys. Not much I'm afraid." "Well Spencer's one of them. He used to be the quiet one of the bunch. He and his team moved in not far away from us a while ago. They just want to make sure Kai's safe." "It sounds to me like they don't trust you. People like that can't be trusted themselves. By the way, is there another reason you dragged us here? We just want to see Ray." "Well as I told you Lee the guys are having some problems right now and I don't think they're really in the mood for extra company." Bruce grew even more nervous under four pairs of angry eyes. Mariah's were the deadliest. Hiro momentarily turned his gaze to see how Spencer was doing to find the women stayed on for dessert. 'He's doing really well. Keeping the red head sweet.'

After another hour of just casual chat, Spencer was released from his company and he couldn't be happier. He physically relaxed and his relief made Bruce smile. To avoid being strangled for a little while Bruce and Hiro took the White Tigers to the dojo, knowing they had the right to know the truth. Spencer was picked up by Brian who informed him that Ray's team was at the dojo and that they had some explaining to do. The last thing Spencer needed was more stress. On the drive back, Brian made a friendly conversation. "So how'd it go?" "Could've gone better if Bruce and Hiro weren't spying on me with those losers. It went well. I got the job." "That's great news. I'd better get you back before Kai kills somebody. She's in a very foul mood today." "We both know what that means. Period." That one word was enough to make the badass men groan in agony. At the dojo, Kai was indeed very volatile. Nobody dared to go near her. Not even Ian, the brave little prankster. Tala watched quietly as chaos ensued whenever Hilary tried calming the spitfire that was his brother…err, sister. In the end Kai was locked in her room so nobody got killed. The White Tigers were still demanding for an explanation that had already been given. Brian and Spencer arrived to find total silence. During the drive, Spencer had removed the shirt and blazer since they made him too hot, both garments hanging over his shoulder. Just for a laugh, Tyson wolf whistled at Spencer. "Whistle at me like that again Ms. Granger and you will not live to see tomorrow. That's a promise. Alright where's the volcano?" Tyson being stupid she thought Spencer was asking about a REAL volcano, thinking of where the nearest one could be found. Spencer knew immediately that she wasn't thinking straight. "Not that kind of volcano you bumbling pillock. I meant Kai." "Oh well why didn't you say?" "Because when Kai loses his temper it seems a volcano erupts somewhere in the world. Or possibly because he is one!" "He's in his room waiting for you." "Have I ever told you guys how much I really love you?" This time Tyson picked up on the sarcasm, laughing a little. "Yeah we love you too Spencie." "Tyson Granger, you are one step away from being mutilated. Don't make your life expectancy shrink." "Mother hen!" Spencer's eyes were ablaze, chasing Tyson out of the room.

Nobody really thought ill of the situation with the exception of the White Tigers. Lee was of course worried that Spencer might actually kill Tyson. "Shouldn't somebody stop him before Tyson ends up needing a grave digging?" "Spencer won't kill her. He's just a little rough when it comes to messing around." "Tyson Granger get back here!" The White Tigers were sceptical when they heard a rather loud shriek. Spencer returned with a soggy unconscious Tyson over his shoulder, face red from anger. "Anybody else? Ian don't you bloody dare!" "Don't I dare what?" "You know what I'm talking about young man." "Do I?" Ian's lips twisted into a grin but Spencer knocked him out before he could say anything. Dropping Tyson to the floor without a care, Spencer fell down against a wall panting like crazy. "Looks to me like somebody ate too much again." "Shut up. And you lot had better not start. I'm sure the situation has been explained so accept it." "Why should we? You and your 'brothers' can't be trusted!" Mariah was the one to start biting at ears and with Spencer being tired; he took the bait to a degree. "Don't try me, wench. I may lash out when angry but I will not hit a woman. Unless they cross the line and insult my family. They're all I have. It pains me to admit this but the BladeBreakers are becoming family to me too. We're doing everything we can to find a way to turn these guys back. Until then, we have to fend for ourselves. We're not going to be a burden." "You liar! You're in league with Boris aren't you?! Just admit it!" That was all it took to push both Spencer and Tala across the line. Mariah screamed when Spencer took her harshly by the arm whilst Bruce and Hiro did their best to stop a super pissed off cyborg Tala from ripping Mariah to shreds. "Unhand me you ruffian!" "You listen here and listen good. If we were with Boris, we'd be in a cold stone building being tortured. You people just don't understand half the time! After what that bastard did to us we vowed never to trust him again! In case you've forgotten, we tried to stand up to him when he erected BEGA. Look where that put Tala! In a fucking coma! You should be lucky Kai isn't down here. He'd have your head for comments like that!"

Unfortunately Kai had heard Mariah's cold words. She was perched on the banister rail atop the stairs with eyes holding murderous intent, nails sharp at the end of twitching fingers. Spencer released Mariah to punch Tala hard in the face to shut him down. "You will take those words back." Kai's voice was low and held a threatening tone, not noticing that Ian was coming around from his little nap. "Uhn. What's going on guys? Why's there so much yelling?" "Not now Ian." "Tala!" "Relax he's just shut down. He went berserk again." "Something must've set him off." "We're being accused of siding with Boris. Kai included." "What?! Who accused us?" "Her and her team." Spencer pointed the finger at Mariah who sat holding her bruised arm. Having recovered from most of his past, Ian couldn't understand why people were doubting them. "But why? We just want to help." "They can't seem to understand our reasons, Ian. Some people will never accept us. We knew that the day our lives were ours to own." Spencer was so busy trying to keep Ian calm he didn't notice Gary approaching. Ian was more frightened than angry when Spencer was hauled off of the ground by the larger Gary. "Put me down!" "You hurt Mariah." "Maybe she should consider that we have feelings! Brian don't just stand there do something!" Brian growled, sizing up Gary but he wasn't tall or strong enough. He did however spot Kai preparing a Phoenix Dive from the corner of his eye. "Kai no! Don't you dare use that! Get down here now!" Lee and Kevin stood in defence of Gary, not that the giant needed it. "Tell him to put Spencer down. Now. Or I will attack him." "He started it Kai." "Mariah started it! And it won't stop until she apologises for her accusation! Let my brother go!" "ENOUGH!" Ray finally snapped. Everyone wondered how long it would be before Ray lost it. "Gary, put Spencer down this instant or you'll have no dinner for a week. And I'll make sure it sticks. Mariah, take back what you said." "Or else?" "If you don't say sorry, I'll no longer be part of the White Tigers." "But it's true Ray!" "That's enough Mariah! You haven't spent the last two months getting to know these guys. They're actually some of the nicest people you could ever meet. Just a little misunderstood. We know the horrors that they went through as children. Just give them a chance to prove themselves."

Before Lee could protest, Gary placed Spencer's feet firmly back on solid ground and the smaller giant set about comforting Ian. Mariah's cruel accusation had wounded the youngster really deep. "You see Mariah? Saying stuff like that cuts them open inside. Ian's the only one who's had therapy for the abuse. Upsetting them means you upset us too. Like it or not, the Blitzkrieg Boys are a part of our family now. They want to help us go back to the way we used to be." Mariah sighed heavily before muttering her apology, leaving shortly after. Lee and Kevin were quick to follow but Gary was preoccupied looking at Ian. "Go on Gary. Before Lee gets mad at you." "I'm sorry Ray. I didn't mean it." "I know you didn't. Get going big guy." Ray felt like a piece of him fell apart as he watched Gary heading off to catch up with the others. Nobody wanted the conflict and it was easy to see that Spencer was shouldering the blame. "It's not your fault Spencer. They'll soon see their mistakes." "But it's our fault. For being who we used to be. Since Brian and I were on the back row in the last tournament we're the ones under debate. We never spoke or did anything. Just stood there letting Kai and Tala do everything." Ray placed a comforting hand on Spencer's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "No matter what happens, you're always welcome here, Spencer. You guys know that. I'll have Mr. Dickenson talk with them. They'll listen to him." "No they won't Ray. To your team, once somebody goes bad they stay bad." "It's the price we pay for being what we are. You can come down now Kai. They're gone." "If they upset my brothers again I will let hell loose on them. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes Kai. Perfectly clear." Since things had calmed down a little Kai pounced off of her perch and performed a couple of forward rolls, stopping at Spencer's side. Bruce felt extremely guilty having witnessed the argument. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought them here. I'm to blame." "It probably would've happened anyway Bruce. I told them not to come here but they didn't listen. I just hope that the All Starz will be more understanding should they discover what's going on. And the rest of them. The last thing we need is more enemies right now."

Just after midday on Thursday Brian headed out for his interview. He'd applied for an office job to get him used to being around people. A mixture of emotions ran through Brian's mind as he sat waiting to be called. Several other people were also being interviewed. Most of them looked more prepared than Brian in every way. "Brian Kuznetskov?" "That'd be me sir." "Right this way. My you're a tall fellow." "You say that like all the people you work with are short." "You misunderstand. It's because I'm small and trying my best to be friendly." "I see. Sorry. I had a sheltered childhood so friendliness was lost to me for quite a long time. That's a nice tie you're wearing." And Brian wasn't lying either. He really did like the tie. It was maroon in colour with a silver eagle at the bottom. "Thank you Mr…" "Just Brian, please. I don't really much like being given a title like that." "Very well. So are you new to Japan?" "Pretty much. I've only lived here for just about two months now. It's a nice quiet place though I miss my motherland." "Well here we are. I can see you're nervous. It's natural. Just remember, humans are visual creatures. Stand tall but don't look intimidating. Sit straight in your seat and do not fiddle with your fingers. Always try to keep eye contact. You've got Sven. I'm not supposed to tell you this but since you're a very nice fellow. He mainly looks for body language and gestures. I wouldn't mention beyblading around him. He lost his daughter to the sport." "How did you know I used to bey?" "I watch television, Brian. You'd best go in. He'll be waiting." "Thank you for all your help sir. I much appreciate it." 'Legs don't fail me now. We're almost there.' Brian let out a heavy sigh, knocking on the door and waited for an answer. A gruff voice told him to go in. Sven was a tall man who had intimidating qualities, one of them being he stood at 6ft tall if not a bit more. His eyes were pitch black, like dark pits staring into Brian's very soul. They alone were enough to make Brian uneasy. But otherwise the man looked friendly as he told Brian politely to take a seat and apologised about the impression his eyes portrayed. After one gruelling hour Brian was released and he couldn't be happier. Sven had informed him that he was a good candidate for the job and he started next Monday. The company had its own tie so Brian had to purchase one and the suit he was currently wearing went well with it.

The dojo was becoming a welcome sight for the Blitzkrieg Boys just recently in light of all the events that happened. The others were happy that Brian would be a working man as of Monday. Now it just left Tala to be interviewed. Out of his team, he was the most frightened due to the cyborg part of him. Especially since it had been playing up a lot in recent weeks. When Brian returned Spencer was nowhere in sight. He was told that the buff giant was jogging off the calories he'd consumed the previous night. Plus it gave Spencer an opportunity to see the rest of the city. Upon reaching the beach, Spencer trotted along on the warm sand until he saw a familiar face. And she noticed him too. "Hello Spencer. Fancy seeing you out here." "Just keeping myself in shape." "Forgive me for not introducing myself properly. I'm Syldra." "Always a pleasure. How come you're not working?" "It's my day off. It must've taken you a while to build all that up." Syldra indicated the mass of muscle Spencer owned and he blushed, stuttering when trying to form the right words. "Well yeah. Kinda." "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It's just that most of our workers are short of body muscle. Spencer, forgive me for being so forward but would you like to join me for a little walk?" "I don't see why not. The change of pace is welcome." Spencer could see that Syldra was happy to have him at her side. He was somewhat uncomfortable when she clung to his arm, giving it a squeeze. After about ten minutes his phone started ringing. Apologising to Syldra for the interruption, Spencer laid into the caller in Russian so not to damage his career before it began. Syldra found the look on Spencer's face funny, giggling into her hand silently. Ending the call minutes later Spencer heaved a sigh. "Mudaki." "Is everything alright Spencer?" "Yeah. Just one of my brothers being annoying as usual. I'll kill him later." "At least you have somebody who cares about you." "Oh? And you don't? I find that hard to believe." "It's true. My parents are gone and I have no siblings. You'd think that somebody as pretty as me would be engaged by now to a good man. But life just doesn't always work out for me the way I would like it to."

Spencer didn't like seeing Syldra upset so he took her to the house he shared with his three crazy brothers for a surprise dinner. Syldra waited in the living room pampering Czar and Lania whilst Spencer got changed out of his jogging bottoms. He returned looking smart but casual. Syldra didn't mind since it was very short notice. Spencer could only hope the others didn't decided to come back. Within another ten minutes Spencer had whipped up a quick meal. It wasn't much but Syldra appreciated that he'd made an attempt to impress her. After cleaning her plate, Syldra was close to sleep so Spencer carried her into the living room so she could rest. She made a joke about needing to burn off the calories before falling asleep. With Syldra napping on the sofa Spencer tidied up in the kitchen. Knowing that Syldra had no family hurt Spencer, remembering the time when he lost his. 'A pretty girl like her deserves to be happy. I can't help but feel she's attracted to me. I'll need to play carefully because if Kai finds out I'm dead. Speaking of Kai, he's been cuddling me a lot more recently. Maybe Ian's right. Perhaps Kai does have stronger feelings for me. But he's my brother. I wouldn't feel right doing stuff like that to him even now he's a girl.' Spencer's thoughts dissipated with the opening of the front door and he almost panicked. Luckily Syldra didn't wake up when Ian prodded her. Unfortunately for him Spencer chose that moment to come out of the kitchen, swatting his hand away from the sleeping maiden. "Spencer? What's going on? Who is this woman?" "Her name is Syldra and I'll be working with her starting Monday. Now show some respect." "But why is she here? You treated her to dinner didn't you?" "So what? Syldra was upset so she needed cheering up." Tala stepped forward, slapping Ian across the head with a sigh. "Knock it off Ian. Spencer can do what he pleases. This is his home too." Tala's voice sounded alien since he spoke so little. "Besides, she's a nice looking girl. Who wouldn't want to treat her to dinner?" Spencer held his tongue, covering Syldra with a nearby blanket. By the time Syldra woke up it was dark so Brian and Spencer took her home. Each time Syldra tried to apologise for being a nuisance Spencer stopped her and said it was fine.

When Brian and Spencer got home they had a shock to find Kai had arrived during their absence. Spencer felt the air hitching in his throat when he noticed what Kai was wearing. She was apparently doing her best to look seductive. "Well this is a surprise. What are you doing here Kai? The others driving you crazy?" "Further than crazy. Close to slitting a throat." "In that case then you can stay the night." "Not like I had anything else planned." Spencer said nothing further, making a beeline for his room and Kai undoubtedly followed him. Brian also decided to turn in, leaving Ian alone with Tala. A very nervous Tala. They sat in silence for a while before going to bed themselves. Whilst Kai got changed in the bathroom, Spencer thought about the sudden feelings that had sprung up inside him. More specifically, feelings for the younger Russian. He pushed them to one side when Kai returned once again looking seductive. The nightie she wore barely went over her bottom. Spencer excused himself before she could try anything. Kai had the feeling that Spencer knew of her feelings for him by now. He returned in only a pair of shorts, his hair all over the shot. Spencer allowed Kai to have a brief cuddle before climbing into bed. All hopes Spencer had of a peaceful night were lost as Kai quickly followed suit, holding him tightly. After a few minutes Kai's eyes started to droop, the weight of needing to sleep pulling them closed. She snuggled closer to Spencer's hulking frame with a slight purr, muttering something under her breath that he could barely hear. Soon Kai was fast asleep, her head resting on Spencer's shoulder. Despite being tired, Spencer stayed awake for another ten minutes just watching Kai as she slept. She looked so innocent you'd never believe how volatile her personality could be. Kai groaned a little when Spencer tenderly stroked her cheek but she didn't wake. 'Don't worry Kai. I'll protect you no matter what. It's getting closer to the day his mother vanished from existence. I should warn the others about it so they know not to worry. And I'll be needing a few dry shirts too. No doubt Kai will be in tears most of the day.' It wasn't long before Spencer entered the land of dreams. Kai woke up for a few minutes to see he was dead to the world. Seeing Spencer fast asleep made Kai happy.

Nobody wanted to get up the next morning, especially Tyson. They'd been rather worried since Kai hadn't returned the previous night. Bruce took it upon himself to wake everyone but Hiro was extremely resistant to his methods. As luck would have it the Blitzkrieg Boys arrived with Kai still sleeping as Spencer carried her bridal style. "Ah boys. What marvellous timing you have." "Do you have to be so cheerful first thing in the morning?" "I'm just happy to see you. Hiro won't get out of bed. By now I fear all my tricks no longer work." Ian and Brian grinned at each other, turning their gaze to the sleeping beauty in Spencer's arms. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking Brian?" "Depends on the plan." Spencer on the other hand wasn't going to subject Kai to such an act, putting her to bed leaving Brian and Ian to whine. With Kai safely in her bed Spencer went to deal with the troublesome Granger. 'Normally it's Tyson who needs to be woken up not Hiro.' It seemed that the second eldest Granger was completely out of it as Spencer set him down in the bathtub. He counted to three in his head before turning on the shower at its coldest setting, bolting out of the room to avoid being killed. Hiro's shrieks of horror woke Tyson as she was also still in bed. Those who were awake howled in laughter, even Spencer. "By the way Ian, you should get ready to run." "What? Why?" "Hiro's going to suspect you were the one behind this. He knows you're a fan of pranks like that." When Hilary arrived she was baffled about all the laughing. That was until a thoroughly drenched Hiro came down the stairs dithering, his eyes immediately fixed on Ian. "You. Get back here you little midget!" Laughter ensued once again as Ian ran for his life and Hilary joined in. "Okay can somebody please fill me in?" "No problem. Hiro wouldn't get out of bed so Spencer gave him a cold shower. And Ian's getting the blame since he's the prankster." "Well it also worked on Tyson. Morning!" Tyson was indeed awake but she looked like hell had just spat her back out. The pitch of Hilary's voice made Tyson grimace as she headed for the kitchen. Hilary rolled her eyes and sat down on the nearest seat. She soon wondered where Kai was. "Hey where's Kai?" "In bed. He slept all the way here. There's something you all need to know. Once everyone is accounted for I'll tell you."

Ian was able to give Hiro the slip somehow, probably due to his size. Hiro on the other hand quickly fell ill due to the wet clothes he hadn't changed out of. After breakfast the BladeBreakers had gathered to hear what Spencer had to say. "Alright listen closely because I'm only going to say this once. As you're all aware by now, Kai's mother left him with me and my family and vanished into thin air. That day is fast approaching again so I must urge you not to pester him. And these new mood swings aren't going to help either. It's one of the only memories Kai has of her now. I've checked the calendar and luckily it's a Saturday this year. Depending on how bad Kai is, we might take him back to our place for the day. Any questions or objections?" Spencer glanced at everyone to see they all understood but Hilary was extremely worried. "Spencer do you think Kai's mother could still be alive?" "I'm not sure. BIOVOLT hunted her for months on end. The trail went cold eventually. As most must. Whether she still breathes is under debate. I can't say the same for Sumaru though. If he did survive I'm sure that Voltaire punished him for his negligence. Kai should wake up soon. All I ask is that you give him some space." "We understand Spencer. Now we know why Kai would vanish for days on end." "Because he came to me. I'm the only one who comforted him through the pain of losing her. Nobody else could get close. I suggest that one of you informs Hiro. We're still not comfortable approaching him." Max took it upon herself to tell Hiro. Plus she wanted to tell him how she felt. The young coach was tucked tightly into his bed, a cold compress upon his forehead that needed changing. Hiro was mildly relieved to see Max's warm smile as she swapped the old cloth for a new one. "Max." "Hey. Take it easy. We've just been informed of why Kai vanished at this time each year. Next Saturday is the anniversary of when Kai's mother left him. He'll need a lot of space this time what with all the mood swings." "Okay. I understand. Thank you. How is he now?" "As far as we know Kai's still sleeping but he should wake up soon. I'll get Ray to make some soup for you. That should help. Get some sleep Hiro. Rest is the best thing for you right now."

The hour of Tala's interview was quick to arrive so the others vanished, not wanting their secret to get out. Hilary took charge of helping Hiro whilst Max stayed hidden. Brian sat with Tala during the interview as Spencer needed to be with Kai due to her having an emotional moment. Hilary never expected to see Kenshiro just after midday. "Ken what are you doing here?" "I wanted to see you Hilary. None of my calls were getting through." "I'm sorry Kenshiro. Things are hectic around here right now. Hiro came back ill this morning but the boys are still off training." "And why can't the girls look after him?" "They don't know Hiro very well. Besides they're all tired and need to rest." Kenshiro sighed, placing his hands on Hilary's shoulders gently. "Hilary, this has to stop. We had plans to go out today remember?" "I know and I'm sorry Ken. I'll see if Bruce can take over…" "Don't bother. When you didn't answer my calls I cancelled it." Hilary felt really guilty after that. Bruce chose that moment to walk in and he could see the tension. "Go on Hilary. I can handle things here. You didn't have to stay. Your future is more important. Don't let this one slip away." Hilary had hopes that she and Kenshiro could still go somewhere together but the look in his eyes told her he'd made other plans. Kenshiro left without another word. Well he tried to. Kai blocked the door, her eyes burning with anger. "Don't you dare turn away from her. Hilary's just been told she can go so that you can spend some time together." "Well I'm sorry Kaira but I have some important work to do." "Important my ass. If you really loved Hilary you'd make an attempt to see her every day. And I've yet to witness you doing so. We'll happily let her go to be with you. We've even told Hilary to put you first. But old habits don't die easily. If I was her lover I'd drop everything I'm doing or planned to do just to see her." "But you're not. Now get out of my way or you'll regret standing there." Kai refused to move and Kenshiro lost his last shred of patience, slamming her back against the doorframe. This was a side to Kenshiro Hilary had never seen before. And she didn't like it. Seeing the new violent side to Kenshiro caused Bruce's fatherly instincts to kick in, taking Hilary out of the room to protect her but also leaving Kai vulnerable. She was powerless to stop him from doing whatever he wanted to her.

Kenshiro had a hand around Kai's throat to dissuade her from fighting against him but by now she was already frightened. Kenshiro sneered as a car pulled up outside with two boys in it. "I've waited a long time for this Kaira." Lust dripped from every word leaving Kenshiro's lips as he harshly ran his fingers over Kai's folds. Since nobody was around Kenshiro took the opportunity to knock Kai unconscious, throwing her into the back of the car shortly after. The car was long gone by the time Bruce returned but he thought that Kai had gone back upstairs and Kenshiro left defeated. But Bruce felt in his gut that something was wrong. He sent Hilary home to get some rest despite her fierce protest before tending to Hiro. Little that he knew, Kai was being whisked away to an unknown place and Spencer was unconscious after Kai slipped him some sleeping potion when she heard trouble brewing. Spencer wouldn't be awake for a while and Kai had made sure of it. Ten minutes later the car Kai was in pulled up at an abandoned house some ways outside of town. The two boys in the front got out first before helping Kenshiro with Kai. She was heavier than he thought. 'Now she'll pay for assaulting me all those weeks ago. Hilary doesn't interest me anymore. In all honesty she never did. I just didn't want to hurt her. She's such a sweet girl. Sleep while you can Kaira. I have a lot of fun planned for you my little flower.' Kenshiro's lips twisted into a sickening smile as he stroked Kai's cheeks. The boys who accompanied him had tied her to a bed that had been cleaned in preparation. Kenshiro glanced to the other side of the bed where vials of drugs were waiting to be used. 'And if you fight too much we'll have to make you obey. With some very special drugs I made just for you.' Kenshiro took advantage of Kai's slumber, fondling her large breasts once she was naked. He was kind enough to cover her with a blanket after he'd had a little fun, meeting with his friends to discuss what they were going to do to her. All the talking got the boys excited so they headed to the room where Kai laid captive. She had also been gagged. Her bound hands were tied to the headboard to allow the boys to manoeuvre her into whatever position they wanted.

It was still light when Kai came around only to find herself restrained and naked. She first laid her eyes on Kenshiro and her temper went straight through the roof. It amused him to see Kai fighting to get free from the binding that held her. "Good afternoon Kaira. Did you have a nice nap? I hope you don't mind but I invited a couple of friends to join us." A venomous growl reverberated from Kai's throat as the stated young men got closer. Kenshiro yanked the blanket away from Kai's naked body and the cold air hit her hard. Kai wasn't blind to the lack of clothes on Kenshiro's body as he moved closer to her. "There now it's alright. Be a good girl and we won't hurt you." Kenshiro moved quickly to the side when Kai attempted to kick him. He'd expected her to be rather violent. Kai fought even more when the two nameless young men held her legs tightly. "My, my Kaira. So feisty. Don't you want to be thrilled? A gorgeous girl like you should have guys all over her. Now just relax and enjoy yourself. I'll be gentle I promise." Kai squirmed as Kenshiro ran a hand over her exposed folds before slipping his thumb inside and she screamed regardless of the cloth gagging her. But Kenshiro didn't stop there. Instead, he took one of Kai's protruding nipples into his mouth and sucked on it. In his eyes she was excited but in truth, it was the cold air stiffening the sensitive tips. After a couple of minutes Kenshiro released his hold on both places and Kai relaxed even though she knew he wasn't finished. Kai knew he was having too much fun to dive straight in and outright rape her. She squeezed her eyes shut when Kenshiro licked at her pussy before engulfing it with his mouth. The boys restraining Kai struggled to hold her as she fought more violently when Kenshiro's tongue slipped into her unused cave. It seemed like hours before Kenshiro decided he'd had enough foreplay, a sly grin on his face. "I hope you enjoyed that Kaira. Because now the real fun begins. You guys know what to do once I'm in." Kai didn't like the sound of that but in her current state there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop them. A rush of pain ripped through Kai's body as the main event began. Kenshiro wasted no time in being gentle, pushing his hard penis all the way in whilst rubbing Kai's hips, a joyful grunt escaping his lips.

Kai was so busy fighting the pain to notice Kenshiro's friends had stripped. She was snapped back into reality when one of them moved underneath her with Kenshiro's help. The third rape party member waited for his chance. A second, more powerful explosion of hurt made itself known to Kai as the young man underneath rammed his manhood up her anal passage. Kai's muffled screams coaxed a sadistic smile onto the faces of her attackers. Fighting only made things worse for Kai but she wasn't about to give in easily. Her grey eyes widened in fear when she realised that there was only one place the remaining boy could take advantage of as the cloth gag was removed. Before Kai could even utter a sound her prediction came true. She gagged as the final hard dick was thrust into her mouth. Her muffled cries were drowned by the pleasurable mews of the gang. It was only a matter of time before one of them reached their peak first. With some luck the first boy to cum was the one with his dick up Kai's ass and he hardly bothered to contain his excitement, gripping Kai's hips tight enough to leave bruises in the shape of fingers. But he didn't pull back after experiencing bliss. Instead he returned to the previous business of thrusting his manhood into Kai. She silently begged for somebody to rescue her. After another half hour Kenshiro reached his limit and he made sure she was aware of it, thrusting harder with every spray. It just left the boy forcing Kai to blow him. He didn't take much longer, almost ripping out some of Kai's glossy hair in the process of his final ejaculation. With their tanks empty, Kenshiro and his buddies left the building after gagging Kai again. Apparently there had been a fourth young man. He was in charge of looking after Kai whilst the others were gone. Instead of the original cloth, Kai had been gagged with duct tape that had a slit in it for a straw to pass through. After what had happened, Kai feared the smaller boy. He was no older than fifteen and looked broken. "I'm sorry. If I could stop them I would. Please understand that I don't want to do this but if I didn't then they'd hurt me in worse ways than you. I'll take care of you I promise." Despite the calm words that had been spoken, Kai wasn't ready to trust the stranger.

At the dojo nobody suspected anything was wrong. Tala's interview ended on a good note. He also started his new job on Monday. The girls came out of hiding once the interviewer had gone. To celebrate, Ray made an extra special dinner for the Blitzkrieg Boys. Whilst Ray busied herself in the kitchen, Bruce went to check if Kai and Spencer were alright, not knowing Kai had been abducted. Spencer was sleeping like a baby thanks to the drug Kai had slipped him. Bruce knew something was amiss when Kai was nowhere to be seen in the room. He took great care when waking Spencer. "Hey. Spencer. Dinner will be ready soon." Bruce stepped back when the burly giant arose from his slumber, hardly remembering where he was. "What? Dinner? How long have I been out?" "I don't know. Where's Kai? I can't see him in here." Spencer suddenly remembered Kai leaving the room as he fell into the dark abyss. Now Kai was gone and that immediately rang the warning bells in Spencer's head. "When did you last see him?!" "Just after midday. Hilary's boyfriend decided to show up and started being a jerk. Kai tried to stop him walking out on her and Kenshiro grew aggressive. There's no way Kai would've allowed himself to be taken. Hilary was upset so I took her into the kitchen. By the time I got back a few minutes later Kai and Kenshiro were out of sight. I thought Kai had come back up here to be with you after sending Kenshiro off with a sore package." "Search the dojo. There's still a chance that Kai could've been abducted. If he's not here we'll have to search for him. But you must NOT inform the police or Mr. Dickenson. You know how sensitive the situation is." "It's my fault. I should've paid more attention." "Bruce, these things just happen. I agree that Kai would not allow himself to be taken easily. He must've slipped something in my drink when the commotion started so that I wouldn't stop him." Spencer was off like a rocket and Bruce followed him. The others were panicked to hear that Kai had gone missing. Spencer and Brian took to the streets in search of their little sister. On his way down a street crammed with shops Spencer ran into Syldra. "Oh hello again Spencer. Is something wrong?" "I can't stop Syldra. My little brother has gone missing." "That's horrible. I hope you find him." "Yeah same here. I'll see you Monday regardless."

Hours of searching turned up nothing and everyone worried more. Kenny couldn't trace Kai's phone because she'd left it behind. The Blitzkrieg Boys went home to come up with a plan of action. The city was large and Kai could be anywhere. They'd also left to prevent Spencer from breaking the nearest neck. He was blaming himself for not taking better care of Kai. In the not-so-abandoned house Kenshiro had returned to rape Kai once more before he had to go home and sleep. After having his fill, Kenshiro left and locked all the doors. Kai couldn't find the peace to rest, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. The boy left behind to look after Kai worried about her. She panicked when he approached her with a tray in his hands. "It's alright. You must be thirsty after all that. Here. Don't worry I haven't poisoned it. I want to help get you out of here." Although Kai didn't trust the boy she allowed him to slip a straw between her lips. True to his word the water wasn't poisoned. A growl informed Kai that her stomach was empty but she could not eat. The boy had apparently been one step ahead of Kai's stomach. "I suspected they wouldn't trust me to give you solid food. All those guys left were milk and some rusks. It's not much but at the very least it'll force back some of your hunger. I don't know how they could do this to someone. Especially a nice girl like you." Kai's eyebrow twitched but she knew better than to try telling her carer that she was once a fit young man. A second, slightly thicker straw allowed Kai to drink the rusk milk. It was a little thin but Kai guessed that was due to the fact a thicker substance wouldn't take kindly to being sucked through a straw. "Was that alright? It wasn't too thin was it?" 'Kid, if I could answer you I would.' "I know you can't respond verbally but you can move your head." At that Kai nodded a little. "If you like I can add some sugar next time. Those guys don't know that there are holes here I can sneak out of. And since it's night time they can't catch me leaving. This building has no security cameras either." 'Then they're sloppy kidnappers. Boris could do better than this without even trying.' "You should get some sleep now. They'll be back in the morning maybe."

As predicted, Kenshiro and his goons returned at 11am with bags. Kai had been given a morning drink and rusk milk before they arrived. They walked in to find her sleeping peacefully, the boy not too far away. Kenshiro had one of his friends remove the boy so he couldn't interrupt their fun. Kenshiro leaned over Kai's face and kissed her pale cheek. "Good morning petal. I hope you slept alright because we've got some presents for you. I'm sure you'll like them." Kai had no chance to wake up properly as a vibrating dildo was rubbed against her swollen pussy lips. Kenshiro hadn't been kind when he returned in the night. He even ignored the blood that leaked from Kai's body. The bed sheets were stained dark red but changing them was the last thing on Kenshiro's mind. Kai jolted out of her sleep when the vibrating sex toy made its way between her sore flesh, squealing in pain. "Hush now you like it really don't you Kaira? We're going to have so much more fun today." Kenshiro pinned Kai down so the rope linking her bound wrists to the bed was swapped with a long chain. A sick feeling welled up in Kai's gut when Kenshiro sucked the pale flesh of her neck, rubbing his hardened member against Kai's sleek leg. Kai grew more fearful upon seeing a needle being filled with the drug Kenshiro had made. "Now precious, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. I don't want to hurt you darling so don't make me." Kai knew the rope had been swapped for a reason. She knew what Kenshiro was implying, refusing to co-operate by head butting him on the chin. "Have it your way then. James, the drug now." "As you wish Ken. Now sweetheart don't fight." But Kai did fight, rather viciously now she had more freedom to move. Kenshiro recovered from the sudden blow to harshly push the dildo further into Kai and she stopped fighting immediately. The boy who had cared for Kai overnight watched in horror as Kenshiro and his goons assaulted Kai. After a few minutes the drugs' effects became clear. It was designed to make Kai docile and obedient. It made Kenshiro smile to see the fruits of his labour in action. "Now Kaira. Do exactly as I say like a good girl." 'What has he done to me? My body is moving on its own!' James and the nameless boy watched as Kenshiro started groping Kai.

To their surprise she didn't fight. When ordered, James shifted Kai into a sitting position, taking the time to feel her now she was docile. And Kenshiro didn't bother to stop him. With Kai obeying his every word, Kenshiro ripped the tape away and she cringed. "Good girl. You like that don't you?" Kai stayed silent as Kenshiro slowly reached down to grab the dildo that kept on vibrating. He smiled at hearing a small squeak coming from Kai when he started to move the toy, mimicking the movement of a real penis. "That's it, Kaira. Let yourself go my little wild flower. Now be a good girl and kiss me." Kai wordlessly obeyed since the drug had a hold on her judgment. The concoction never ceased to amaze the onlookers. It really was a wonderful substance. Kenshiro wasted no time, deepening the kiss as he stroked Kai's supple butt cheeks. Just watching Kenshiro getting all the fun made James jealous and very excited. The other boy felt the same. Kenshiro soon grew bored of the passionate kiss, whispering his next order into Kai's ear so only she knew what he wanted her to do. Kenshiro's wish became clear when his trousers were undone and removed. He allowed Kai to push him onto his back, removing the dildo himself since she hadn't been told to. Kenshiro sighed in glee when his penis vanished into Kai's pussy. "That's it Kaira. Now don't hold back sugar. Come to me." Kenshiro's second wish was granted immediately as Kai began to pump herself on his hardened rod of flesh. "You can join in now fellas. She's nice and calm. I just had to be sure the drug was working. Oh Kaira!" This time James received the blowjob and the remaining teen seized Kai's rear opening. Kenshiro was having so much fun he came within five minutes, his moan of bliss drowning out all the others. Even Kai was releasing mews of pleasure. She didn't even notice the stinging sensation from too much sex, pumping herself harder and faster on Kenshiro's still rock hard penis. Within twenty minutes James and the mystery boy spilled their loads, leaving Kai to rest. Kenshiro stayed back to whisper in Kai's ear. "That little boy wants you Kaira. I can see it in his eyes. Be a good girl and give him what he wants." "Yes master." With an evil grin, Kenshiro vacated the building.

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There you have it. Kai is my main victim as always. I gave a hint as to who attacked the Bladebreakers. A very BIG hint. It's practically clear as day.

R&R and I'll see you , in the next chapter


	5. Help is at Hand

Chapter five isn't that violent so I'm just not gonna put much here. But I will say Kai gets rescued by somebody you'd least expect.

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5

The boy was nervous about approaching Kai after hearing that the drug would last a few days. It was late afternoon by the time he had the courage to go near Kai. Kenshiro was so confident he didn't gag Kai again. "Are you okay? That looked painful. What those jerks did to you." The boy freaked when Kai started touching him in inappropriate places, namingly the groin area. Even though Kai had lost most of her strength she was still able to overpower the boy, pinning him to the bed. "What are doing?! Stop this!" Sadly Kai only obeyed Kenshiro's voice so she continued what she was doing. It took her a little while to get the boys' penis standing up as he fought harshly. A faint rosy blush emerged on Kai's cheeks when she finally succeeded in getting the innocent manhood inside her. Her victim still squirmed even with Kai's taller, heavier body on top of his. It wasn't long before the frightened young man reached his climax but he was experiencing more pain than pleasure. Kai fell asleep quite quickly, having used up all her energy. With Kai out for the count the boy bolted out of the room, afraid that something else might happen if he stayed. After the unexpected rape, Kai had been alone in the room since her carer was still in shock of what she'd done to him. Kenshiro came back when the sky started to grow dark. He was angry to find Kai hadn't been fed, beating the boy for negligence. Kenshiro returned smiling a sickeningly sweet smile. "Did you have fun my little pet? I have something for you." Kai woke from her slumber, vision clouded slightly. "Master?" In response Kenshiro cupped Kai's face in his hands and stroked it as if she was a cat. None the less Kai enjoyed the attention, her bound hands lingering by Kenshiro's crotch. She surprised Kenshiro by giving him a blowjob without even being asked. "Kaira. You're quite eager tonight. But that's okay pumpkin. You know what master wants like the good little girl you are." Kai released her hold on Kenshiro's cock just before he reached his peak, leaving him confused and a little angry. His anger faded when Kai started to rub the hardened shaft with her breasts, squishing them with her arms. Kenshiro moaned as his cum shot out over Kai's face but she didn't seem to care, lapping at the swollen tip.

Kai's actions made Kenshiro smile, running a hand through her messy hair. Since Kai had been a good girl she was rewarded with some proper food and a slight pampering. Kenshiro cleaned Kai's face before popping a banana into her mouth with the order not to bite into it. Kai did as she was told, her grey eyes meeting Kenshiro's lust filled orbs. Kenshiro opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off when Kai started to bob her head back and forth. "There's a good girl. Tastes good doesn't it?" Kai could only squeak a little since her mouth was occupied eyes half lidded. After a few minutes Kenshiro decided he'd seen enough, allowing Kai to eat the elongated fruit. Once there was nothing left of the banana Kai sat on Kenshiro's lap, wrapping her legs around him as he brushed her hair. Kenshiro expected Kai to take advantage of the situation so when she sat on his dick he wasn't taken by surprise. He didn't bother to hold back his mews of joy, being careful not to pull too hard on Kai's hair. Kenshiro abandoned the brush to pull Kai closer, groping her supple buttocks. Kai occupied herself by sucking on Kenshiro's neck, moaning occasionally when he returned the gesture. For no reason Kai pushed herself back a bit, allowing Kenshiro access to her large breasts, nipples sticking out wanting some attention and he wasted no time, engulfing Kai's right nipple since that one appeared to be more sensitive than the left. They stayed like that for at least half an hour before Kenshiro came, pulling Kai close to press his face between her breasts. Kenshiro took a moment to steady his breathing before setting Kai down on the bed. She was reluctant to let him remove his penis but after a few spanks Kenshiro managed to free himself. "Not so hasty pet. I have to rest now and so do you. I'll see you tomorrow my little doll. Until then, sleep." Kenshiro watched and waited as Kai's eyes slowly closed. Once Kai was sleeping, Kenshiro left the building feeling satisfied and fulfilled. On the way home, Kenshiro came up with more sadistic plans involving Kai and the boy left to care for her during his absence.

Monday came around quickly and the Blitzkrieg Boys were rushing around to get themselves ready for work. They'd been up all night looking for Kai, giving up close to 3am. Spencer was taking it the hardest since he was closer to Kai than the others. After breakfast Brian dropped the others off first. Upon arriving at the company he now worked for, Brian felt sick to his stomach, heading inside. Sven was the one to greet Brian, offering his hand. "Good morning Brian. Feeling excited?" "Considering I've had little sleep I'm far from excited." "Rough night?" Brian nodded, not wanting to go into details. Sven understood Brian's insecurity about the matter, taking him up to the third floor where he'd be working. "Well Brian here's your floor. I've asked Melody to look after you. Here she comes now." Brian's eyes were glued to the woman Sven had appointed to look after him. Melody had long mahogany hair that shimmered in the light and gorgeous rosy red eyes. She was also quite busty. Like most office women she wore a short skirt that hung above her knees and a shirt that strained to contain her cleavage. Melody had a distinct wiggle in her hips as she walked. "You must be Brian. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Melody. I'll be your tutor." "Hi." Melody could tell Brian was struggling to get over the initial shock, winking at Sven. "I'm sure you're raring to go so I'll show you to your desk. It's right next to mine. This way." Brian had no chance to protest as Melody grabbed his hand and dragged him across the room. Sven left feeling a little worried about Brian, wondering if he'd picked the right person to be his mentor. Brian barely understood what Melody was saying as his head spun. "Melody, could you slow down a bit please? My brain hasn't fully woken up yet." "Of course. I'm sorry. Do you need a coffee or anything?" "A coffee would be fantastic. Just point me to the machine." "No need. I'll get it for you." "Are you sure? I don't want people around here to think I'm lazy." "Oh pish posh. They wouldn't dare think such a thing of my pupil. How do you take it?" "Strong, three sugars. Not too much milk." "Alright you wait here. I'll be right back." With Melody gone, Brian allowed his head to fall onto the desk with a loud bang but the other staff just left him alone. He looked around momentarily and noticed a man at the far end of the room giving him daggers.

Brian guessed the guy was jealous. Who wouldn't be? Melody was a very attractive woman and Brian got to spend the days with her for a while. Probably for his entire career. She returned smiling with two cups of coffee ready to drink. To Brian's surprise the coffee was exactly how he liked it. "Thanks Melody. Not many people can get it right first time." "I'm glad you like it. Once you're ready I'll start explaining your job again." "Who is that guy? He keeps glaring at me." Brian indicated to the black haired man at the opposite end of the room and Melody sighed. "That's Simon. He's probably jealous of you getting to spend time with me. I've told him many times that I'm not interested. Don't let him bother you." "I'm making enemies already eh? Sounds about right for me." "Why so?" Brian swallowed thickly. He couldn't risk telling Melody he had been abused as a child. She'd likely walk away from him. "Brian?" "Let's just say I'm a hate magnet and leave it there okay?" "I understand if you're not ready to tell me every little detail about yourself just yet. But I'll inform Sven that Simon's showing signs of hostility towards you. Now you'll perform two jobs whilst working here. One of them is filling out paperwork and the other job is answering customer phone calls." "That wasn't exactly written in the job description. I don't think. I just wanted a job that would allow me to get used to being in crowds." "It's alright. This job will help you gain more confidence in many areas. Mostly dealing with people. If you need help I'm always going to be by your side. I've waited a long time for a work partner." "How come? I'm sure a lot of people would want to work with you Melody. Forgive me but you are rather attractive." "That's very sweet of you Brian. But most of the men I could've worked with tried forcing themselves on me. Eventually I grew too afraid to approach men. Even the boss. And none of the women like me because I'm too pretty and would make them look bad." "Ouch. In that case we've got more in common than I thought. I find people don't like me." "Judging a book by its cover, so to speak?" "Yeah exactly. And it's all because of how I grew up. But I don't want to go into that right now. It's my first day and getting into trouble isn't on my to do list." "It's okay."

Tala on the other hand was stuck with a snotty nosed guy showing him how things worked. He'd applied for a job involving computers due to being part cyborg. Tala was getting very close to strangling the man when a nicer looking guy approached him, getting rid of the annoying fellow. "I'm sorry you had to put up with Shane. I'm Tomoko. You can call me Tom. I'll inform the manager that Shane was getting all high and mighty with you. Unfortunately most of us are ill informed so I don't know your name." "Tala." "A pleasure to meet you. I'll explain things in a more polite manner. If you want, we can hang together at lunch. Being the new guy is tough. I should know. I've only been here for a few months." Tala gave a brief nod and allowed Tomoko to lead him around the room they were working in. As they walked, Tala got a better look at Tomoko. He had long dark blue hair and glistening purple eyes. He was also fairly handsome. Everything Tomoko said was processed by Tala's computer-like brain so he'd never forget it. "And that's everything. Did you get all that Tala?" "Yeah. Thanks." "No problem. If you need any help I'm just over in the corner. Good luck buddy. I'll see you later at around 12noon. Ish." "Sure. I appreciate your help Tom." "Hey we're cool brother." Tomoko went white as a sheet when the supervisor yelled at him for not doing his job. Tala was given a rota by said supervisor and shown to his station. He looked at all the components and started piecing the machine together piece by piece. Within twenty minutes Tala finished hooking up all the wires in the right places. None of the staff could believe their eyes at how fast Tala worked. It took them an hour on average to build the computers. Tomoko was sure Tala would gain a few groupies with the way he was going. The lunch bell rang and Tomoko met Tala by the door. "Hey dude. That was awesome. I've never seen somebody put a computer together that fast before. How'd you do it?" "Practise. Lots of it." "Cool. Could you teach me?" "No problem. Huh?" Tala stopped walking and pulled out his phone as it vibrated in his pocket. "One moment." "Hey no problem. Come find me once you're done. I respect your privacy."

Tala was glad to have met Tomoko, answering the call once he was in a quiet place. "This is a nice surprise Lyuba. How are you doing?" ("Tala, we need to talk. I haven't seen you for two months. What's going on?") "I told you I was moving to Japan. Or didn't you get my letter?" ("Letter?! Why couldn't you tell me in person?!") "Lyuba, I was too busy. I wanted to come and see you really I did. But everything was just so hectic. I'm sorry. How's the family?" ("They're very annoyed that you haven't been in touch with me. I've tried persuading them that you're not the kinda guy who goes out and cheats on his partner.") "I really am sorry Lyuba. Honest. I've just started work today." ("You got a job over there? Why couldn't you get one here at home?") "Everyone feared me because of what I am. Here in Japan nobody knows about my past. I'm able to start my life over. And I want it to be with you at my side." ("When are you next free? I can book a flight to come and see you.") "This Sunday I should think. I could come and pick you up at the airport." ("No need. I have contacts over there. All I need is your address.") "Okay. Well I have to go now coz I'm getting really hungry. I'll call you tonight I promise." There was a sigh at the other end before the call ended. Tala felt hurt that Lyuba just cut him off like that, feeling the need to be alone. Tomoko worried when he saw Tala heading for an empty corner. Some people tried convincing Tomoko to leave Tala in peace but he was worried about him. "Hey bud what's up? You look beat." "It's personal." "That's okay. I understand. If you ever want to talk, I'm happy to listen. The others don't like you much. They say you're some kind of weirdo." "They wouldn't be wrong." Tala's voice was low and Tomoko barely heard him. "Why do you think that Tala? You're a great guy." "I'm…not ready to open up like that just yet Tom. I'm sorry." "You've nothing to be sorry for. That's a nice ring by the way." Tala looked down at the stated band of gold, running his fingers over it. "It was a gift from my partner back in Russia. She has one too. We've been together for about two years." "Wow. I wish I had a girl who thought that highly of me. You're a lucky guy Tala. And she must be one very special girl. You seem like the picky type." "Not picky. Just in need of someone who accepts people for who they are."

Ian's day was going great. He'd been busy running around the shop recommending games to customers and making friends with some of the staff. After his lunch break Ian was back to being a busy snake. One of his new buddies was a gothic girl named Abigail. Abby for short. She had long black hair tied into high pigtails and chocolate brown eyes. She wasn't much taller than Ian and didn't have a lot in the way of breasts. Abby giggled as she and a few others watched Ian zipping around the shop, putting games in the right places and interacting with customers, some of whom were regulars to the shop. Even they were happy to see an enthusiastic new face. Before Ian could pester somebody else, Abby got him to sit down and take a break. "Not so fast Ian. You'll hurt yourself otherwise." "Sorry Abby. I guess I had too much sugar this morning." "Nervous?" "A little. I wonder how my brothers are doing." "You have brothers?" "Well we're not blood related. We just grew up together." "Oh okay. So friends you see as family. You're lucky Ian." "Unfortunately they like to try and fail at killing me because I'm so small. Just rough play that's all." "Sounds like your life is eventful then." "Yeah. Only one of my brothers doesn't live with us. Slip him sleeping pills and god help ya. Last time he chased me with the wood axe from outside. He wasn't sleeping so we got worried." Abby found herself laughing at Ian's funny little tales. She was sure that they'd be friends for a while. Abby got distracted by a customer wanting to purchase some games. Ian took some time to get his breath back before noticing another customer was stuck on what to pick. That customer happened to be none other than Jim from Team Psychick. Since Abby was busy, Ian snuck away from her to help Jim. "Do you need any help sir?" "Oh well since you've asked, I'm kinda stuck. You see, I want a game that allows me to explore a vast open world." "Well we have many to choose from. It depends what kind of gameplay you want to experience." "Well I'm fond of shooting games but I want to try something new." "A fan of Halo eh? Well there's one thing we have in common. There are two genres you can choose from. There's fantasy or horror. Sort of." "Could you define horror for me? I don't want anything too brutal." "Sure thing."

Ian explained the concept of various games involving zombies and other things considered suitable as horror creatures. Jim didn't seem interested in those so fantasy was his last remaining choice. "Well since horror is out then looks like a fantasy game would suit you. We have a very wide selection here including Final Fantasy for people who like RPGs, Elder Scrolls for people seeking a challenge and Dragons Dogma, Capcom's version of Elder Scrolls but a bit more open." "I've heard of Capcom. They have a reputation of trying to kill you." "Yeah they have. I speak from experience. Dark Souls isn't a Capcom game but it's designed to murder your sanity. It has a prequel I can't remember the name of." "What would you recommend?" "To start off with I would say Final Fantasy. We have from number four up to thirteen-two. If you love good graphics for the old playstation, I would go for eight or nine. For a playstation two, ten is a good one. Its sequel isn't all that fantastic. It depends on your preference as the player. I can say that the DS game Four Warriors of Light is to be avoided. It's extremely similar to Final Fantasy five just with better graphics and a more complex story. As for the XBOX 360, thirteen is a winner. The sequel is fantastic." "You're very knowledgeable. Sorry I didn't catch your name." "I'm Ian." "Thanks Ian. Do any of the games you mentioned have voice acting?" "From ten onwards. Squaresoft, or now known as Square Enix, witnessed how badly Capcom did with Resident Evil so they put it off for a while. Final Fantasy nine is good for humour. Ten is as well." "You know what; I've got a lot on me so I'll buy the set." "Fantastic. Sorry if I seem a little hyper. I'm new here and I kinda had too much sugar at breakfast." "That's okay." "I forgot to mention that Final Fantasy thirteen and thirteen-two are also available for the playstation three." Jim smiled widely, allowing Ian to fetch the games for him. He lent a hand when the poor fellow had too much to carry. Jim was even given a discount on the price for buying so many games. Abby was sure that Ian would get himself a promotion if he kept this up. Others were jealous of Ian having hooked a big sale on his first day at work.

Spencer wasn't finding his job all that exciting but he didn't complain, putting his back into every move. He'd been shocked when Syldra told him she was his supervisor. The warehouse had little in the way of female workers due to the nature of the job. Spencer wasn't really interested in making friends but a few of the guys were alright. Spencer spent his lunch break getting know Syldra a little better, leaving most of the chaps jealous of him. He'd even asked her out to dinner next weekend and she said yes. The end of the day was drawing near and Spencer found himself worrying about Kai. Bruce had called during his break with no news of Kai's whereabouts. Syldra had been very supportive, telling Spencer that he only had to ask if he needed help. Spencer couldn't be happier when it was time to leave. He didn't expect to find Syldra waiting for him outside. "Syldra?" "Here you are. I was wondering if you had time for a quick drink. You've been hard at work all day." "I'll have to let Brian know. He's picking me up in a bit." "No problem. You don't have to if there's things to be done. I understand that your little brother is still missing." "Yeah. But we have friends looking for him since we're so busy with our new jobs and all." "That's very kind of them. I'm sure he's alright. Have faith Spencer." "He's gotten out of worse scrapes I'll say that much but no further." Syldra smiled without a word and waited as Spencer called Brian to let him know he didn't need picking up. Of course Brian poked at Spencer, chiding that he had a girlfriend already and that made him blush. Even though Syldra couldn't understand a word that was being said she still found it funny. "Zalupa." "Pardon my asking Spencer but what language were you speaking?" "Russian. My brothers and I were born and raised there." "I've always wanted to go there." "Maybe I'll take you one day." "Really? You'd do that?" "In truth I miss the cold weather. Japan is a bit warm for me. Shall we go? I've told Brian to come get me in a few hours." Syldra led the way to her car that sat waiting in the car park. Having such a high standing in the company she had a very posh car. Spencer's eyes rested on a chestnut brown Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. Most of all he was happy to see it was spacious. "Well here she is. The reliable lady that gets me to work everyday. Bet you didn't expect this huh?" "No. But I like it."

Spencer had expected the casual drink to be at a café but instead Syldra took him to her home. It was a cosy looking place with about three bedrooms at the most. Syldra got out of the car first and Spencer followed. "This looks like a nice little neighbourhood." "It is. I would like to say it's quiet but the media is always looking for a new story. They won't bother me after last time. Sophie backed them right off. Not many people know this but she sees me as a sister. We grew up together. Just like you and your brothers." On his way inside Spencer caught a glance of a covered car. He chose not to voice his curiosity for a little while. Syldra went into the kitchen once Spencer was comfortable on the sofa. She returned with two glasses of lemonade that seemed homemade. "Here you go. I made this myself." "Thanks. It must be hard keeping this place clean all by yourself." Syldra smiled sweetly with a little chuckle. "You'd be surprised at what one woman can do alone. I'm stronger than I look. I'll be right back. This suit is beginning to annoy me." Spencer had a severe shock when Syldra returned. He expected her to dress prim and proper at home but instead she looked like your average teenager in baggy jeans and a low cut top. "Surprised?" "Very. No offense Syldra but I expected you to be more…I don't know. Posh." "You're not the only one. I only dress smartly for a date. But even that's not enough sometimes. You're curious about the car aren't you? The one that's covered. It belonged to my late fiancé. He had to go out of town for business and never came back." "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if it's an upsetting subject." "I'm okay. It was two years ago. After I lost Richard things went downhill. I only have my job because Sophie knows me too well. And she lost her father a little while before hand." "I'm sorry to hear it Syldra. I can't understand why nobody would accept you. You're a very sweet woman." "Well I have a habit of being too sweet occasionally. Thus they get scared off." Spencer found out why when Syldra cuddled up to him but he wasn't all that frightened. Nervousness pushed fear out of Spencer's mind. He was nervous of hurting her. "I just want to be loved. Is that too much to ask for?" "No Syldra. It isn't too much."

A couple more days went by and going to work every morning was now normal for the Blitzkrieg Boys. Kai was still nowhere to be found. On Thursday morning, Kenshiro stood in a room with a shadowed figure, standing straight like a soldier. "Everything is going according to plan sir. 'Tis unfortunate that Kaira is menstruating right now." "Yes it is. But I have faith that you'll succeed Kenshiro. I chose you for a reason." "Of course sir. And I don't plan to let you down. Have you need of me further?" "Not right now no. You're dismissed." "As you wish sir. I'll report back tomorrow if anything changes." The shadowed figure sneered as he looked out a window, gazing down upon Granger dojo in the distance. "Remember Kenshiro. Only use that serum I gave you if she grows resistant to the current one." "Yes sir. I'll take great care not to use it unless it's necessary." Kenshiro turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door with a silent click. Purple eyes danced with glee as they watched Kenshiro getting into a car. 'Soon Dranzer will be mine. Kai as well. They should've learned by now that it's wise to keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.' Within twenty minutes Kenshiro and his hoodlum buddies arrived at the abandoned house. Kai was already awake by the time they walked into her room. 'She's due for another dose. This girl is very resistant to the drug we've been using. Perhaps I should use the advanced serum Boris gave me. It's the only way. But for now, I'll give her the usual dose.' "Good morning Kaira. I hope you slept well my little blossom. Since you've been such a good girl, I have another present for you." James was aware of the signs given if the drug was wearing off so he administered a fresh dose whilst Kai was still calm and submissive. Kai had learnt by now that the other lad was called Bradley. With the drug surging through Kai's veins she was injected with another drug that induced sleep. Once Kai was sleeping, Kenshiro pulled a piercing kit out of his bag and set to work on Kai's right nipple. After ten minutes all three boys were satisfied at seeing a gold hoop resting on Kai's breast as it hung from the sore looking nipple. Kai woke up soon after receiving the piercing, wondering where it had come from. Soon the regular routine was back in place and Kai obeyed everything Kenshiro said.

The dark of night was quick to arrive and Kai was still being molested by Kenshiro and his two friends. Something seemed different tonight in Kai's eyes. Normally Kenshiro was all over her but he was nowhere in sight. Kai was slowly regaining her senses but did not show it, waiting to launch an attack to free herself and the boy she had yet to learn the name of. Just after 10pm Kenshiro dragged the nameless lad into the room and slammed him to the floor. "Good evening Kaira. I hope you weren't waiting too long for me." 'I hate waiting. Now come here so I can ring your worthless little neck you sick bastard.' Kai's eyes betrayed her thoughts, allowing Kenshiro to fondle her. "Good girl. I've decided to let the pipsqueak watch this time. So that he knows what he's missing out on." Kenshiro suspected that nothing was wrong as Kai allowed him his usual play, feigning moans of pleasure when he hit that sweet spot. Kenshiro wasn't trusting enough to untie Kai's hands so she had to make do without them. When Kenshiro diverted his attention to James, Kai gave the boy a look that said she was going to make a stand against the abuse and he nodded a little. By the time Kenshiro turned back Kai had put on a puppy dog face to bring him closer. "Look at you acting all adorable. This new for you Kaira. I guess you must be desperate for me. Well that's okay because I'm all yours now pumpkin. And you're mine just like I promised." Kai waited for the perfect moment to strike. She flinched when the lights were turned down. Bradley stood by the window watching as a group of hooded figures were walking by. "What's wrong Bradley? I can hardly see a thing in here." "Sorry Ken. There are people outside. Can't have anyone finding us out." 'People?! What perfect timing!' "Alright let me know when they're gone. But the dark won't stop me getting what I want." Kenshiro's words held true as he slipped two fingers inside Kai whilst she planned her attack. James was on standby next to the bed when Kai finally struck out, kicking Kenshiro clean in the gut. Unfortunately for them, she could see clearly in the dark. James was quick to move, restraining Kai as Kenshiro pulled out the needle containing the new serum. "Someone help!"

Outside the hooded figures had left Bradley's vision. Green eyes darted around when a call for help could be heard. The leader nodded and the other three followed him around to the back of the house. Kenshiro's crew were indeed very sloppy kidnappers since nobody was guarding the rear entrance, allowing the group easy access. 'Hang on Kai we're coming. We've been keeping an eye on you guys for a little while now. And we saw that prick kidnap you.' Upstairs, Kenshiro was furious that he'd been tricked, using more strength than he'd ever done. Bradley had taken over restraining Kai as James had been tackled by the boy despite him being bound at the hands. "Now you'll pay for that you little bitch. This should shut you up for a while." Kai screamed as best she could through Bradley's hands as they smothered her mouth. With the needle empty Kenshiro focused on the main task at hand, raping Kai painfully. In a split second of him releasing his seed into Kai, the four strangers arrived and launched their own attack. Sadly Kai was now under the influence of the stronger drug but she still felt the immense pain Kenshiro was causing her. He was the last to be assaulted by the buffest stranger. James and Bradley were out cold after being kicked in the face by a foot connected to a sleek sexy leg. The smallest member saw that the boy yet to be named hadn't been hurt. The gang leader removed their hood to reveal a familiar face. It was Ozuma of the Saint Shields. Mariam removed her hood along with Joseph and Dunga. "It's been a while, Kai Hiwatari. You're going to be okay now." Ozuma knew something was wrong when Kai fought against him. "Hey Ozuma, I just found this. Looks like these guys have been using drugs to keep Kai docile. This one is fresh." "Good work Joseph. That would probably explain why Kai isn't so forthcoming with getting out of here. Dunga, find some rope and tie those bastards up. Mariam, I'll leave comforting Kai to you. Me being near her whilst she's bare is probably not helping matters. I'll get in touch with the police and state that the victims wish to remain anonymous. Don't worry kid. We're not your enemies." "Thank you. But…the Kai Hiwatari I've heard of is…" "Male? Yeah things are complicated. I must ask that you tell nobody of this." Ozuma indicated to Kai who was being comforted by Mariam as she was dressed. "I won't speak of it. You have my word."

The police arrived in mere minutes and arrested Kenshiro's gang. An ambulance had been brought along to assess the victims. The Saint Shields went along to the station, not wanting to leave Kai on her own in her current state. Ozuma explained to the officer heading the investigation that Kai would not answer any questions until the drug wore off. If it did lose effect at all. The boy however told his interrogator what he remembered. His name was Izzy. Mariam had given Kai her cloak to shield her identity from anyone watching. The investigation lasted all night long but Ozuma's crew refused to leave Kai's side. Izzy was taken home after he said farewell to Kai and thanked Ozuma for arriving when he did. By morning Kai was too tired to do anything and Ozuma wasn't willing to have Dunga carry her through the streets to the dojo so he asked for the phone number. 'C'mon. I know it's early but pick up the damn phone.' Ozuma was close to hanging up when somebody finally answered but they were hardly awake. ("Hellosie? Who's diss?") Ozuma sweat dropped and groaned. It was Tyson. "Good morning Tyson. I'm glad to hear you're up and talking. It's Ozuma." ("Oh hey Ozzie. How's ya doing?") "Fine. Listen, I'm at the police station. Me and my guys found Kai last night and he's in a bad way. We need somebody to come and get the poor sod. I'll explain what we know later on." ("You found Kai?!) Ozuma was sure that nobody would've been able to sleep through Tyson's outburst and he could hear her bouncing on the spot. ("I'll get my dad to come and get you. He shouldn't be too long. You have our thanks Ozuma.") The line shorted out and Ozuma couldn't be happier. Mariam noticed the look on his face and smiled. "I guess you got a groggy Tyson?" "Pretty much. His dad will be coming to get us. Until then we can only wait. How is he?" "Fast asleep. What do you think they did to him Ozuma? He's filthy and it looks like they haven't fed him properly." "I don't know but I get the feeling an old enemy of theirs is behind this. We can't tell the other teams. The BladeBreakers have enough problems to deal with."

Bruce arrived at the station within ten minutes and he'd brought blankets. Ozuma informed him that Kai had been injected with an unknown substance and that she would probably fight the others because of it. Bruce was understanding of the situation. Sadly one person would be walking so Joseph opted to going on foot, mainly so he could snoop around. The dojo was buzzing by the time Bruce pulled up outside. Nobody but Tyson expected to see Ozuma, Mariam and Dunga in Bruce's company. The look on Ozuma's face told them he knew about the unwanted sex change from the day it happened. "Long time no see. You all look well. Minus a few differences." "Ozuma? What are you doing here?" Ray pulled out of the shock to speak, her face still painting a look of bewilderment. "Well Ray me and the guys were just walking by an abandoned house last night just outside of town when we heard a cry for help coming from inside. I'm afraid to say that we were too late. How long has Kai been missing?" "Since last Friday. Is he okay?" "Severely raped and undernourished. Filthy too. His kidnappers didn't care about his health by the looks of things. You'll be surprised to know we've been keeping a close eye on you guys since the first attack. I know we should've shown ourselves but we didn't want to cause further aggravation." Thankfully nobody was angry at Ozuma but they worried when Hilary came through the gate. She hadn't gotten over what happened four years prior between the BladeBreakers and the Saint Shields so Hilary was obviously very aggressive towards them. "What the hell are you doing here?" Ray was the only person brave enough to approach Hilary. "Calm down Hilary. They found Kai last night. He's in a bad way." "What?! Where was he?! Do the others know?!" "Not yet. We didn't want to disturb them. Kai was being held in an abandoned house outside of town." Hilary sighed, unable to retain her anger, mumbling a small thanks as she walked by to sit on the sofa. "You're welcome. I must warn you that Kai's attackers have been using a drug to make him docile. The place had no cameras but there was a witness. A young boy by the name of Izzy. He too had been kidnapped and told us he was put in charge of looking after Kai whilst the gang was gone."

Hearing that Kai wasn't the only victim stunned the others. Ray excused herself to go and make some drinks. After a mild debate, it was decided that the Blitzkrieg Boys should be informed and the burden fell to Hilary. Tala had been the one to answer the phone. The second he heard that Kai had been found he put the phone down. Hilary huffed as she went to check on Kai, mentally ranting about how rude Tala could be sometimes. Kai had just woken up when Hilary entered the room wearing a fake smile. "Hey how are you feeling?" Kai blinked, not recognising Hilary due to the drug. "Where's master?" "Master? Kai I don't know what you're talking about. It's me, Hilary." Hilary's heart sank when Kai showed no signs of recollection. They both bolted in fright ten minutes later when Spencer barged into the room, unaware of the situation. "Kai thank god you're alright!" Hilary had no time to warn Spencer as his arms immediately pulled Kai close but she struggled against him. "No! Let go of me!" It took both Brian and Bruce to pry Spencer's arms away from Kai as she sat quivering on the bed, frightened half to death. "Unhand me this minute!" "Spencer calm down! Kai's not himself." "What?" "His attackers drugged him. Whatever they used Kai's mind goes blank. He doesn't recognise us." The news hit Spencer hard and it was clear to see as tears built up in his eyes but he was soon on the war path, dragging Brian and Ozuma with him. "What the hell are you doing?!" "You're going to show me who it was that used that drug on Kai. He'll be the only one Kai listens to right now." "I see. Good luck convincing the police to release him." "Don't you worry. I'm not scared of the law. They'll be the ones scared of me." Brian didn't want to admit it verbally but he was worried. He'd never seen Spencer like this before and it scared him. Spencer would go to the ends of the earth to protect Kai but what Brian saw now was pure, concentrated rage. 'Something tells me this isn't going to end well. Especially not for the one who harmed Kai. Spencer's close to doing it again. And it'll break him. I just hope the guy has a solid enough head.' Brian put his fears to one side as he pulled up outside the police station. Ozuma stuck to Spencer's heels as they headed inside. None of the officers dared to mess with Spencer when he stepped into the building.

Soon his blue eyes rested on Kenshiro. Saying Spencer's blood boiled would be an understatement. Brian tried to hold Spencer back as he approached Kenshiro but to no avail. Oddly he wasn't afraid of Spencer, sneering down at him. "I figured you'd come. What can I do for you?" "I want to know what you did to Kai. Spit it out!" "My, my so hasty. The fun hasn't even begun yet." "Don't play games with me you little bastard. If you wish to live you'd better start talking. What did you do to Kai?!" "Oh nothing much I assure you. But right now she'll only listen to me." "You sick son of a…" "Spencer! This won't get us the answers. I'll have words with the officer in charge." "Hurry it up. My patience is wearing thin." "Patience? You haven't got any patience. I know all about you and your friends. Those girls too." "You're working for someone." "I'm not talking." "You don't have to. Because I only know one man sick enough to do this and his name is Boris Balkov. I'm not stupid you little punk." Brian returned just in time. Kenshiro had been about to taunt Spencer again. It seemed Boris had provided him with an arsenal of information to use should he be caught. Hilary was horrified when Kenshiro was dragged into Kai's room. It was hard to stop Kai running to him. "Spencer?" "This little prick look familiar Hilary?" "He…he was my boyfriend." "Now you'll undo what you've done!" "I already told you I can't. You have to wait for it to wear off. If it ever does." "What do you mean if?!" "A magician never reveals his secrets." Spencer was extremely close to snapping Kenshiro's neck if Kai didn't speak up. "Master?" "Hey sugar. Listen, I have to go now so be a good girl and listen to these people. They'll take care of you for me." "Why Master?" "Because I've been a bad boy, Kaira." Spencer was sickened by every word leaving Kenshiro's mouth, his fingers twitching. "What's the matter Spencer? Jealous because I beat you to it?" Then it happened. Something inside Spencer snapped and in an instant, he'd balled his fist and slammed it into Kenshiro's face so hard he hit the doorframe and fell unconscious. But the very second Spencer's fist made contact with Kenshiro, a memory surged through him, causing Spencer to keel over, falling to the floor mumbling incoherently and gripping his head with the hand that hadn't been used since the other would not open.

Hilary and Kai were speechless, not knowing what they were to do. Brian had heard the bang and he came running only to find Spencer on the floor and Kenshiro unconscious. Seeing Spencer reliving a memory led Brian to the conclusion that Kenshiro had finally pushed him over the edge. "Spencer! C'mon bro snap out of it!" Everyone else soon gathered and they too were horrified at the scene. Kai watched in silence as Brian tried to pull Spencer out of the cycle he was in, scenes flashing before her eyes. Hilary turned away from Spencer to see Kai was acting even weirder. If that was even possible. A tear slipped from Kai's grey eyes as the drug suddenly lost its effect on her. She lunged forward and took Spencer into her arms where he slowly calmed down. Brian knew well that Kai had regained control of her mind, stepping back to a suitable distance. Brian signalled for Hilary to leave the room once Kenshiro was taken to the hospital to be examined. To cover for Spencer, the police were told that Kenshiro had tripped, fallen down the stairs and hit his head very hard. They fell for the lie since Tala was a very good liar. With Kai back to normal nobody had reason enough to worry about her. Instead they were concerned about Spencer. "Hey Brian. What's up with Spencer?" "A long time ago back when we were being trained, Spencer was too strong for his own good. And the safety of others. I don't know how but they trained him to one hit kill another boy with just one punch to the face. I will say that Kenshiro got lucky. He's only in a coma but it's unlikely that he'll ever wake up. There's a lot of blood on Spencer's hands. Whenever he won a match, Boris had Spencer kill the boy that lost. There was always something that made him snap inside. And it concerned Kai being harmed. You know how close they are." Brian looked down at his hands, knowing there was invisible blood on them from the lives he claimed. "And each time Spencer realised what he'd done and became withdrawn. Only Kai could pull him out of it." Brian seemed frightened that the others would turn on Spencer but instead they offered their full support to help him recover. It calmed Brian to know they had made their family bigger.

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Alright, Kai's home but what will happen now? I'll let you guess or predict, whichever you decide.


	6. Mama and a Stalker

Here we'll find some tear shedding again. I know I cried writing this chapter, well, bits of it. Like I usually do I bring in the parents of one particular character. Others are yet to be decided (after chapter 10)

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6

The rest of Friday morning was eventless. Spencer had called Syldra to say he wouldn't be coming to work and she didn't ask why, knowing it probably concerned the family. With nothing to numb her senses, Kai was in a lot of pain and confused as to why her nipple was pierced. Spencer stayed by Kai's side, hardly ever moving unless either of them needed the bathroom. In fact, Kai was in so much pain that Dranzer felt it too, flashing in what seemed like Morse code. Driger, Draciel and Dragoon were doing the same. Over on a foreign island, Daichi was training in a copse of trees. He was ill informed that his team was in trouble due to living in the middle of nowhere. Strata Dragoon suddenly started acting weird, ceasing her rotation at Daichi's feet. "Huh? What's up Strata Dragoon? Is Tyson in trouble?" A growl reverberated from the bitchip and Daichi took that as a yes. "Alright then we'd better get going. I'll have to call Mr.D and get him to arrange a ticket for me." With his mind made up, Daichi sprinted home to make the call. He lived alone so pesky parents weren't around to stop him. The flight was arranged quickly so Daichi packed in a hurry, making sure to grab his passport. The plane would be leaving in two hours so Daichi hailed a cab to get him to the airport on time. 'Hang in there Tyson I'm on my way. It must be pretty serious for Strata Dragoon to stop spinning. I wonder which bitbeast contacted her. Probably Dragoon. She's closer to him than any of the others. Still, it'll be good to see the team again and show them how much stronger I've become. Tyson's gonna be so smoked when I'm done with him.' Similar thoughts ran through Daichi's mind all the way to the airport. He paid the driver in such a hurry he'd actually left quite a nice tip, not that the driver was going to argue about being overpaid. Once on the plane Daichi found himself bored. He hated flying above all other forms of transport. Daichi wondered if the others had gotten stronger, spending at least an hour tinkering with Strata Dragoon, drawing in the attention of some kids so he wasted a few hours telling them who he was and where he was going. They'd also learned how to put a beyblade together.

Back over in Japan, Kai wasn't getting any better but she forced herself out of bed to train. She'd made up her mind and there was nothing Spencer could do but act as a training partner. The others also decided to get in some training to waste away a few hours. Hiro was well enough to walk around but he still had a bit of a temperature so Hilary forbade him to train with the team. Bruce watched from the kitchen as everyone had fun. He was distracted by the phone. "Hello Granger dojo." ("Ah I'm glad you answered Bruce. Young Daichi is on his way. Apparently he somehow caught wind that the team is in trouble. I wager he'll arrive by tomorrow.") "Mr. Dickenson what a nice surprise. I'll not tell the others. Let Daichi give 'em a surprise. Besides, it's what they need right now." ("How is Kai doing? I heard he was assaulted.") "He's up and training. Nothing can stop him either. We've all tried." ("I'm happy to hear he's okay. I'm also concerned about tomorrow. I'm aware that it's the anniversary of when Kai's mother left him.") "Don't you worry Mr. Dickenson. Kai's in safe hands now his brothers are here. Well it's almost lunch time so I'm gonna have to go. It was nice hearing from you Mr. Dickenson." ("Very well Bruce. Please do inform me if anything else happens.") "I will. Have a good day." The line went dead so Bruce returned to the kitchen to make a start on dinner. He smiled widely at seeing Seaborg getting bashed around by Dranzer and Spencer's muscles twitched shortly before he and his beyblade were sent flying. Kai had one foot off the ground so she'd apparently just kicked Spencer in self defence. "Bloody hell Kai. Less of the brutality if you don't mind. I'm pretty sure my boss would like me going back to work alive on Monday." "Then get with it. Your mind appears to be elsewhere." "So sorry Kai. Alright from here on in you'd better watch out because that last blow hurt like a son of a bitch. Seaborg now!" Nobody could turn away as the mighty whale emerged from his keep, charging towards Dranzer as she lifted into flight regardless of the pain channelled through her bond with Kai. It would greatly irk Boris to know the four sacred bitbeasts were now more loyal to their masters, protecting them in unnoticeable little ways.

Hiro gained a new respect for Spencer as he watched him battling Kai. Despite Kai's current condition he wasn't holding back and that was just how Kai wanted it. 'This is rare opportunity indeed. I'll admit I've never seen Spencer in battle before. Boris wasn't so lenient with old video footage from the Abbey. In all honesty I'm glad he wasn't.' Hiro came out of his thoughts to find Dranzer and Seaborg were entangled, biting at each other to try and break free. "Dranzer! Blazing Emission now!" "Seaborg! Don't give her chance!" Sadly Dranzer was too fast for Seaborg and soon she vanished, beyblade and all. Kai was the only one who knew where his blade had gone. Spencer felt a faint movement underneath him and without warning; Dranzer came bursting out of the ground, landing the final blow to Seaborg with flames that burned out of control. "I win." "Damn you're a sneaky little shit. I never saw that coming." "I'm aware of that. Good job Dranzer. Come on back." Kai was confused when Dranzer didn't answer. She was looking around for something that couldn't be found, feeling sad. "Dranzer what's wrong? This isn't like you." Kai was left even more befuddled when Dranzer returned to her castle. There was something in her eyes that Kai had never seen before. 'Dranzer. I know it's close my friend. But you have to be strong for me.' Kai looked down at Dranzer's image in time to see a faint pulse of light, showing her sadness. The others picked up on this so they didn't bother asking. Spencer gave Kai's shoulders a squeeze of comfort with a smile on his face. "She knows it's that time of year again." "But Dranzer has never acted like that before. It's as if…as if…" "Don't push yourself. You and I both know it was for your own protection. Come on you need to rest up. That battle was intense." Kai was too weak to argue, leaning against Spencer as she walked. As luck would have it Bruce finished cooking dinner the second Kai made her final move. Even he could tell Dranzer was acting weird. 'Dranzer knows something. Or feels it. Kai's mother could very well be alive. And Dranzer felt her nearby.' More thoughts along those lines drifted through Bruce's mind as he served up the plates.

By nightfall Kai was completely shattered. Spencer chose to stay the night and Bruce understood Kai would need comfort from the very second she woke up the next day. Out in the streets, a cloaked figure dashed down alleys and backstreets, amethyst eyes darting around. 'I felt her. Dranzer is close by. That must mean my little boy is still alive. Boris didn't kill him. But would Kai take me back after I walked away? He must hate me for leaving him with that family. It was the only thing I could do to ensure Kai's safety for a little while. I'm still not sure how I managed to give BIOVOLT the slip. They stopped chasing me rather suddenly. Could it be that they'd found Kai and had no use of me? And what of Sumaru? Is he really dead like I was led to believe? I should get some rest. It'll be better to be up early tomorrow.' With no further thoughts the stranger climbed a tree and fell soundly asleep, not knowing they'd arrived at Granger dojo. Several stars shone down on Spencer as he lay out in the back garden, unaware that somebody had taken refuge in the cherry tree out front. 'I wonder if my parents are still alive. It's been so long since BIOVOLT kidnapped me and Kai I can't remember whether they were killed or not. Thinking about it probably won't help right now. I need to focus on keeping Kai sane come morning. And he'll no doubt scold me for staying up so late.' Spencer brushed himself down before heading back inside, treading carefully so not to wake anybody. Luckily Kai had not woken up during his absence so Spencer was able to slip into the bed unnoticed. Kai mumbled in her sleep, rolling over to cuddle Spencer, feeling his warmth nearby comforted her. Spencer quietly watched Kai for about five minutes before closing his eyes to the world. He vowed in his sleep that no further harm would come to Kai. Bruce poked his head into the room and smiled. He knew Spencer had been outside for a while. 'Kai's gonna be just fine with Spencer at his side. And we'll support him too. I wonder if Spencer has seen the signs of a stronger affection Kai's been giving off? If so would he take that risk? From where I'm standing nothing can separate them. Blood is thicker than water after all. I'm starting to sound like my dad already.' Bruce left the room quietly and headed to get some sleep himself.

Silence. That's all they heard when the morning rolled around. Ray stretched gladly with a yawn. She knew what today was and so the silence confused her. Apparently Hiro had gotten up a little earlier since he was sitting at the table. "Morning Hiro. Do you hear that?" "I can't hear anything Ray." "Exactly my point. I guess Kai's probably still asleep since it's so quiet." "Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better now so don't worry about fussing over me." "Glad to hear it." "Hey Ray." The uncertainty in Hiro's voice made Ray worry. "What is it Hiro?" "You're the one everybody turns to for advice so I was wondering if you could help me." "I'll certainly try." Hiro smiled a shaky smile that wavered. Ray could see he was nervous just by the way his back arched over the table. "First of all I must ask that you don't think ill of me in light of the situation. I find myself feeling nervous around a friend lately." "Nervous how?" "That if I voiced my feelings for her she'd walk away." "So you want to know what I think you should do? It depends on the girl. It's Max isn't it?" Hiro's head shot up, shock evident in his eyes. "Figures. I know more about you than I've let on Hiro. If you want her, you'll have to open up. I understand the others might take this the wrong way Hiro but I for one understand how you feel. Three years ago we met a team called Team Psychick. I developed feelings for the only female on their team. And I was too scared to tell her how I felt. Then they vanished as did my chance to tell Salima of my feelings. The longer you wait, Hiro, the further away she'll get." "But how can I be sure Max won't turn me away?" "She won't. Remember the day we met Kenshiro and Max said he was handsome. After you left, Max went outside feeling guilty. She knew her words had wounded you. She and your dad had a chat." "You eavesdropped?" "Not on purpose. Bruce told her how you felt. He wants to help you settle down. Perhaps Bruce could help you better. He's been down your road before." Hiro stood from the table and walked out of the room. Ray was a little worried to say the least. Max woke with a start when there was a knock at her bedroom door. Her blue eyes rested upon Hiro minutes later. "Hiro? What's going on? What time is it?" "Time we had a talk, Max." "Now?" "Yes now. It's important." "Oh okay. Well don't just stand out there."

Max closed the door quietly once Hiro was in the room, rubbing her sleepy blue eyes. She'd barely even woken up properly when Hiro pulled her into a kiss, his arms snaking around Max's waist. At first Max was in a state of shock, unsure of whether Hiro's lips were really pressing against hers. She wanted to believe it was a dream. The Hiro Max knew would never do something so rash. Or would he? Hiro's hold stopped Max from pulling away so she had no choice but to give in to him. It was there and then that Max knew her feelings for Hiro were real as his fingers ran through her hair. Hiro was calmed by Max's acceptance of him, pulling back to look in her eyes where lust shone uncertainly. Max now had her arms around Hiro's neck, tipping her head back a little to look up at him. Neither of them could form any sort of sound so they kissed again, this time with more passion. Hiro's hands wandered, feeling the curves of Max's body as hers did the same to him. Max fell back onto her bed with Hiro on top. He seemed rather desperate for affection but she was able to push him back. "Hiro, stop. Not so fast." "Max I…I'm sorry. My control slipped for a moment there." "I was beginning to think you'd never come to me. The others can say what they want but I don't care." "Neither do I. If it wasn't for Ray, I wouldn't be up here." "Ray? What's she got to do with this?" "She told me the longer I stayed silent, the further out of my reach you would get. And I can't stand to lose you Max. Call it wrong but I've had feelings for you since we met three years ago. I was just too scared to tell you." Max's face lit up as she stroked Hiro's cheek to find it was a little bristly. "Well if you had of told me back then Hiro you'd of walked away feeling sore down below. I know you're excited Hiro but could you wait just a little longer? I'm not exactly ready to go that far with you just yet." Hiro's cheeks went bright red. He hadn't even realised his pecker was stiff. He mumbled an apology and moved away. Max soon shoved him out the door so she could get dressed. Hiro felt that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that he'd expressed his feelings to Max. Hiro stopped by Kai's door, wondering if she was okay given what day it was.

After another hour, Kai and Spencer were the only ones still in bed. By 11am, Spencer started to stir. He was annoyed to see what time it was but felt good for the extra rest. Spencer was careful not to wake Kai as he got out of the bed but his plans backfired when he tripped. Luckily Kai didn't even mumble. Spencer tried again to move away from the bed only to find he was cuffed to one of the bed legs by the ankle. 'Whoever did this had better run when I get my hands on them. I'm very surprised that Kai is still sleeping. I guess those bastards didn't let him get much rest. Either way I would prefer it if Kai slept all day. But then the nightmares would start again. Ugh I just can't win with him.' "Spencer?" Said man froze at the quiet voice, turning around slowly to see Kai was now awake, rubbing her eyes clean of sleep. "Kai, you should rest." "But I'm not tired anymore Spencie. My stomach hurts." Spencer groaned faintly in annoyance. 'On top of everything else he's now acting childish. It's to be expected I suppose. Given what day it is today.' Spencer pushed himself off the floor and got back into the bed moments before Ray walked in. She had the decency to knock first of course. "Morning. Is there anything I can get you?" Spencer growled. "If you can find the twat who did this." He indicated to his cuffed ankle. "And bring them here so I can break a few bones that'd be great." "Well I can say it wasn't Ian. He and the other two have only just arrived. I suspect it could be Tyson if anyone." Ray's ears twitched all of a sudden and she looked around. "What is it Ray?" "Nothing. For a moment there I thought I felt an unfamiliar presence nearby. Must be my imagination. I'll be right back. I'm sure Ian can get you out of that." "He'd better because I really need the bathroom." Ray wasted no time, fetching Ian and glaring at Tyson in particular. "What'd I do?" "Did you cuff Spencer to the bed while he was sleeping last night Tyson?" Ray's suspicions were confirmed when Tyson vanished at the sight of Spencer. "You get back here Granger!" Tala and Brian looked at each other with mild amusement on their faces until Tala's cyborg abilities picked up an extra body nearby, stepping outside. He looked around to find nothing but then looked up when a bird started singing. The stranger was still asleep in the tree.

Ray followed after Tala when his gaze fixated on the cherry tree. "What is it Tala?" "We have company. I'm guessing she's been there all night." "I'll get her down. You go inside and ensure Tyson doesn't get killed." "Right away ma'am." Ray knew Tala was attempting a joke but it didn't work. Ray climbed the tree carefully so not to startle the sleeping woman. Amethyst eyes opened to the world as the body they belonged to was being shaken gently. "'Scuse me Miss." "Uhn. Huh? What time is it? Where am I?" "It's just after 11am and you're on private property." "I'm so sorry. It was dark so I didn't know." "That's okay. You look beat. Come inside and have a bite to eat." "I couldn't possibly ask that of a stranger." "We really don't mind. I'm not taking no for an answer. I know you're a Neko-Jin." Ray whispered the last part and the stranger seemed shocked. "Then I'm obliged by rules of our kind to accept your help." "Good to hear they taught you right. My friends won't mind having you around. If they did, I wouldn't be here." Ray's words comforted the woman as they both dropped out of the tree. Ray was less graceful due to being out of practise. The others stayed silent, waiting for Ray to speak first. "Why the long faces guys?" "Who is that Ray?" "She was sleeping in the tree outside. I invited her in to rest a while. It seems her journey has been long and arduous. Hasn't it, Natsu Hiwatari?" The room went completely silent. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The woman was stunned beyond belief that Ray had figured out her identity. "How did you know?" "That pendant you're wearing. It's the South Star isn't it?" Said necklace was brought into the light and it did indeed resemble a star. "I saw Kai looking at one once. Close to this day. I guess it's a coincidence that you've appeared in time. You can remove the hood. We're not going to hurt you." Natsu did as she was told revealing long grey hair tied into a braid. Very few wrinkles showed on her face but she looked just like Kai. The resemblance was uncanny. She soon realised that she was in the company of the BladeBreakers but confused as to why they were girls. "Pardon my nosiness but aren't the BladeBreakers supposed to be boys?"

Ray looked at the others and they gave her a nod to say go ahead. Natsu was no stranger to Boris and his ways so it was safe to tell her everything that had happened to them due to his schemes. "Well spotted. Boris attacked us. He's after our bitbeasts again." "Old habits die hard it seems. Though this is most unlike him. He must really be short on ideas to do something so rash. Kidnapping you would've been so much easier." "That's probably why. Boris likely wants to toy with us first." "Sick old bastard. Is Kai alright? Daft question given the time and situation I know." Ray smiled and placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder gently. "Well Kai's not exactly having fun being a girl but he's fine otherwise. Have you been searching long for him?" Natsu nodded sheepishly as Bruce helped her to sit down by Kenny whose hair wasn't so spiky anymore. Only the fringe spiked to cover her eyes. "I've been travelling for thirteen long years to find my little boy. I didn't want to leave him believe me. Kai means everything to me. But if BIOVOLT had caught us, they would've killed me in front of him. I even spent some time trying to find Sumaru. Seems they did kill him in cold blood." The room went quiet again and Natsu failed to understand why. That was until she saw Spencer with Tyson hanging over his shoulder out cold…again. She knew who he was the second their eyes met. And Spencer identified Natsu by the scar on her cheek. The others expected Spencer to be hostile towards Natsu but instead he dropped Tyson without a word of anger. "I was wondering when we'd see you again, Natsu. If it was ever to be." "I understand if you hate me. After all I left Kai behind." "Natsu. Any mother would've done the same thing if they loved their child as much as you loved Kai. I of all people understand the value of family." "But I put you at risk." "Regardless of that my parents accepted. But only because I was there the day you stood at our door. I remember little of my parents." "Thank you. For understanding." "Being a Neko-Jin is hard. Living with a Hiwatari is harder by leagues. You were willing to take the risk with Sumaru. What of your family? Could you not take shelter with them?" "No. Voltaire had them all killed. After that my village abandoned me because of the destruction he caused out of anger. I've been lonely without them in truth. I do miss my family dearly."

The subject was a sore one for Natsu it seemed as she hugged herself in an act of comfort. Ray knew exactly how Natsu felt. She remembered little of her parents. Nobody could be mad at Natsu. She had left Kai to keep him safe. "Sumaru insisted that I visit my mother for a while to get away from his fathers' eyes. He wrote to me every week saying that Voltaire was growing suspicious." "He did that?" "Yes. You might think Sumaru pushed me away but that's not true. He was trying to protect me. I stayed with my mother for months and I eventually gave birth at home. It pained Sumaru to not be there the moment Kai was born. I also feel he was disappointed that we had a son and not a daughter. If Kai had been a girl Voltaire might've left us alone. Either way I was happy. And that made Sumaru happy in turn. Kai was about four months old when we returned to Russia. I couldn't travel on a plane with a newborn baby." "How did your mother react to you going back to Sumaru?" "To put it bluntly, it was as if the world had been hit by an apocalypse. I tried to tell her it would be okay. But she was right. Five years later the media found out, thus Voltaire was informed. He visited one day and expressed his disgust. Sumaru kept him at a distance from me and Kai as he spat hurtful words about us. We lived in fear after that." Natsu paused to catch her breath and accept a cup of tea from Bruce. She took a small sip before continuing. "We had planned to move away from Russia. Sumaru had never met my family and I wanted to take him to my hometown but Voltaire saw that it would never happen. I had contacts around the globe and contacted one of them. Spain was our intended destination. But alas Voltaire was one step ahead of us. He had Boris kill Sumaru and then sent him after me. I'm sure you know most of what happened after that." "Yeah just about. You can rest here a while. In fact, stay. We have a spare room you can use." "You mean that?" "Of course. Kai's here after all. He's not going anywhere fast." "I'm dreading how he'll react when he sees me for the first time in thirteen years." "Natsu I can say that he doesn't hate you. At this time every year all Kai does is beg for you to come back."

Spencer's words brought tears to Natsu's eyes and she tried to hide them. Bruce was quick to see the signs, pulling Natsu into his arms. Once she calmed down, Spencer led her to Kai's room. Kai was sleeping again and the sight made Spencer smile. "Kai. Kai wake up." "Spencie? Where'd you go?" "I clobbered Tyson for cuffing me to the bed. There's somebody here to see you. A very special someone." "What do you mean?" Natsu entered the room when signalled and Kai's eyes were like saucers brimming with excess water. She wanted so badly to believe Natsu being there was a dream. "M…M…Mama?" "It's okay. Kai. You don't have to be afraid anymore. I'm here now." The reaction Spencer hoped for showed no signs of happening and even Natsu was worried. "Kai? Are you not happy to see me? I've been looking for you ever since I heard you'd been kidnapped." Natsu's fear of being rejected slowly took its place as Kai glared at her. "Where were you when I needed you?!" "Kai please…" "I cried myself to sleep every night in that prison! I needed you then but you weren't there!" "Kai I…I had to go. I'm sorry. If I took you with me and they found us, you'd have no family left." "I have a family now!" Kai's words cut through Natsu like a knife through butter. She tried to hide her pain but to no avail. Spencer stepped in before the situation got out of hand. "Kai. Your mother didn't want to leave you. She had no choice. You'd never survive out there. I remember all those nights I comforted you through the pain. And you pleaded, begged even, for her to come back. But now you wound Natsu with biting words. If she was my mother, I would've understood her reasons now they'd come to light." Kai's seething slowly diminished as fatigue settled in again. She had every right to be angry with Natsu. In truth, Kai regretted the cold words the second she spoke them, pulling Natsu closer. Spencer left out of respect and told the others not to interrupt. Kai mumbled many apologies into Natsu's neck as she cried. "It's alright baby. I understand how you feel. I'd be angry if my mother left me with some random family and then walked out of my life, returning when I was all grown up. You have every right to be angry with me. Leaving you wounded me. It left a gaping wound in my heart. And it's part of the reason I seek forgiveness."

Gone now were Kai's feelings of hate and anger. In their place stood happiness, security and relief. Kai felt safe in Natsu's arms, her tears slowly drying up. Kai soon asked the question Natsu feared to hear. "Where's papa?" "I fear he may be dead, Kai. I've found no trace of him. I'm sorry." "It's not your fault mama. Papa was strong wasn't he?" "Yes. But he was also afraid of losing us. As we were of being parted from him. The man of this dojo says I can stay." "He did? That's just like Bruce. He's a good man. His father went away a few weeks ago. Would papa be angry if I said that Bruce's dad was like the father I never knew?" "Maybe. You must've cared dearly for him." "We all did. He had a big impact on my life. I dug his grave and built his coffin. The others worried." Natsu smiled, stroking Kai's unbrushed hair. "That was a very noble thing you did Kai. And I'm proud of you for it. Your father would be too. Have you not been eating properly Kai? You're deathly thin." Kai panicked. She'd hoped that Natsu wouldn't notice how thin she'd become. "Kai? If you don't want to tell me it's okay." "I was kidnapped again. Last Friday. I was only trying to protect Hilary from being hurt." "Why?" "Her boyfriend was being a total prick. I couldn't do anything to stop him. But I don't remember much of what happened after that. An old rival team of ours rescued me and a boy who had been kidnapped as well. He looked after me." "You don't have to remember, Kai. I can guess what that boy did to you. In truth, your father and I met under similar circumstances." "You did?" "Yes. We were only about eighteen at the time. I was still fairly new to Russia and a gang of men took me hostage. Every few nights I remember the pain they caused me. Then your father showed up with his friends and rescued me. Back then he was a true Hiwatari. Cold to many people. But around me, Sumaru was the sweetest man I'd ever known and I'll not deny that I miss him dearly. I'm the reason he quit working for Voltaire and trained to be a builder. Don't think ill of your father Kai. He was forced to work in BIOVOLT." Kai said nothing, snuggling up to Natsu with a faint purr that she openly returned only louder.

Downstairs, the others were training. Spencer had insisted that getting stronger was the best thing for them right now. Most of all, he wanted Kai and Natsu to have some time alone with each other. Tala sat on the sidelines watching the others quietly until he received a message from Lyuba saying she'd arrived at the airport. 'She's early. It must really be important if Lyuba made haste to get here. Better not keep my lady waiting.' Instead of leaving unbidden, Tala informed Bruce that he was going out for a bit so the others shouldn't worry. First he headed home to change into some smarter clothes and then headed off to find a nice café, letting Lyuba know where he'd be. Tala anxiously awaited her arrival. Half an hour later a car pulled up outside and Tala recognised the blonde haired passenger. She was no older than twenty with looks that were to die for. Purple eyes found Tala not too far away from a window. With a sigh she went inside. On her middle right finger was a ring identical to Tala's. Having not seen his lover for so long, Tala couldn't wait to hold her tight. "Lyuba. You're early." "I know. I just had to come and see you. You're looking well. How's work?" "Good. Not much else to say really. All I do is put computers together." "So long as you're happy with it. How are your brothers? Do they have jobs too?" "Yeah. They don't like to talk about it though. Your friend didn't have to stay outside. I don't mind paying for them." "Tala, I can't stay long. My dad is going to retire soon so I'm taking over the company." Tala blinked. This was the first he'd heard of his lover gaining ownership of a wealthy company. "You never told me that." "All because my father didn't want you finding out. He thinks you're a gold digger." "Then he'll be surprised to know I'm working." "Yes he was." "Do you have time for a meal at least? I've really missed you." Lyuba did nothing to react when Tala kissed her cheek but Tala was too blind to notice the look in her eyes. "I don't see why not. I'll just have a salad and some water. I'm not really all that hungry." "That's okay. How's the weather back home?" "Same as usual. Cold and crap." Tala couldn't be happier to be spending time with Lyuba. They talked a little about random little things. Every few minutes Tala would run his fingers over something in his pocket. He cursed under his breath when he got a bit of salad dressing sauce on his fancy shirt.

Tala excused himself to go and clean himself up but Lyuba just waved a hand. Once Tala was out of sight, Lyuba approached a waiter, telling him to give Tala her ring and proceeded to walk out of the café. The waiter was nervous about the task he'd been given. He felt sorry for Tala. Lyuba was a pretty girl and now he'd lost her. 'She probably found somebody else. Poor sod. I wonder how Tyson is doing lately. We haven't seen each other for years. I'll bet he's stronger now. And I promised him a fair match.' The waiter was none other than Kane from Team Psychick. But since Tala hadn't met the team, he had no idea that Kane had been a part of the group who ruined the life of a young boy Kai knew at school. Tala came out of the gents' room a few minutes later, confused to find Lyuba had already gone. At first he figured it was because she had to go home. But his worst fears came true when Kane approached him. "Excuse me sir. The lady who was with you left this behind. She asked me to hand it to you. I'm not sure why she couldn't do it herself." Tala's mind went completely blank as he tried to understand the situation. Losing Lyuba had never been considered possible so it happening was a clear shock. Kane helped Tala to sit down and fetched him a fresh glass of water. "Is there anybody I can call for you? A friend? Family even?" Tala wordlessly pulled Spencer's number up on his phone and handed it to Kane. "Alright. I won't be long." Thoughts ran around in Tala's mind like headless wolves as he tried to figure out where he'd gone wrong. Whilst Kane set about calling Spencer, Tala pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a gold ring encrusted with gleaming topaz stones. It was an engagement ring. 'I wanted to ask her hand. Was I not good enough for her? Did Lyuba's parents have something to do with her leaving me? I don't understand. What more could I of given to prove I cared about her?' Tala finally broke down into silent tears, hiding his face behind folded arms that rested upon the table. He was sure life wanted to torture him. Nothing Tala ever did was good enough for anyone. All he could do now was wait for Spencer to come and pick him up.

At the dojo, everyone was laughing happily. Kai and Natsu were now on good terms and it pleased Spencer to see them cuddling on the sofa. A few people jumped when Spencer's phone alerted him to an incoming call from a number he didn't recognise, nervous about answering it. "Hello?" ("Is this Spencer?") "Who's asking?" ("I'm very sorry for any inconvenience but the gentleman I got your number from is in a bad way.") "How so?" ("Well at first everything was fine. He was having dinner with a woman I assume was his girlfriend but when he left the room she walked out, leaving behind a ring of gold.") Spencer's eyes narrowed, yanking Brian out of his seat causing the falcon wielder to shriek. "Where are you calling from?" ("The Rose Café on Jump Street.") "I'll be right there. I would advise you not to approach him other than to return his phone." ("Understood. I'll let him know you're on the way.") "Spencer what's going on?" "Only one of us has a partner, Brian." Words were no longer needed as Brian kicked on his shoes with Spencer not far behind. The others were left confused. Ian feared that Tala would never be the same. "Guys, remember I told you Tala was having problems back home with his partner?" "Yeah. But…oh no. Don't tell me it's worst case scenario?" "Looks that way. Either she's found someone else or her parents forced the split. In honesty I'm voting for both. Lyuba's parents never liked Tala from the day they met him." "She wasn't rich by any chance was she Ian?" "Not exactly. I don't even know what her parents do for a living. But I'll admit she's a snappy dresser." Ian spent the next ten minutes preparing everyone for Tala's return, warning them not to go near him unless it was necessary. A roaring engine informed them that the three brothers had come back. Spencer stepped inside with Tala in his arms. Brian followed not long after and made for the kitchen. A whole sofa was cleared for Tala to have some space so Spencer guessed Ian had warned them what could and would happen if Tala was boxed in. Kai kept back, not wanting to upset Tala more. Seeing the mighty captain in tears over one person was a strange sight. Anything spoken was said in Russian to keep the matter fairly private between the patchwork family. Hilary knew how Tala felt. She'd been hurt in the past before Kenshiro even knew her.

It took hours for Tala to calm down. His grief had triggered fatigue and now he slept in Spencer's arms. It was a sorry sight to say the least. Nobody uttered a word knowing Tala needed to rest. "It's alright. You won't wake him. Tala completely zones out when he sleeps. Are there any intoxicating substances in the building? Before you even ask Tyson, I'm talking about alcohol. No doubt Tala WILL hit the bottle after this crippling blow. When Brian and I got there Tala was holding a box containing an engagement ring." "He won't recover quickly that's for sure. But we don't keep such drinks here." "One relief." Spencer was cut off from saying anything else by a beyblade zipping through the room. Brian and Ian took defensive positions immediately. "Wow you guys sure are lazy. I thought you'd be training right about now." Everything froze in place. "Tell me I didn't just hear Daichi." "Can't do that Ray. Coz you did." Confused by the lack of movement Daichi decided to pinch the closest person, Kai. Before Daichi could even get his fingers close to Kai's arm he was sent rocketing across the yard by Spencer's fist. Seaborg just happened to arrive at the precise moment, smashing Strata Dragoon into a wall. "Don't you dare touch him." "Easy Spencer. It's just Daichi." "I could care less who he is." The young red head however staggered to his feet and charged at Spencer with all his speed only to feel like he'd just hit a brick wall. Spencer didn't even flinch. "Where'd that brick wall come from?" Nobody had chance to answer as Daichi passed out from the sudden impact. Brian and Ian shook their heads in disappointment. Spencer yawned and scratched the now faintly throbbing muscles where Daichi had made contact. "That tickled you little git. Might I ask what he's doing here at a time like this? Seaborg, return. Nice timing old chap." "Where'd he go?" "Nowhere that concerns you Tyson." Before an argument could start Hiro wordlessly took Daichi to rest, knowing there was some explaining to do once the boy woke up. 'Why are we being tortured so much lately? It's bad enough the guys were turned into girls. I swear if I get my hands on Boris I'll rip him to pieces. And he'll need more than God to save him if he hurts Max.'

Hours later everyone worried that Daichi would never wake up. When asked what he had under his shirt for Daichi to be out cold on impact, Spencer simply told them that he worked out a lot. Probably too much for the welfare of others. Tyson even poked Spencer's abs out of curiosity to find they were almost rock solid. They also appeared to be Spencer's only ticklish spot. By 5pm Daichi started to come around, rubbing his eyes and stretching gladly. 'Man I must be losing it if I hit a wall. Wait a sec. I was charging at that big dude after he punched me. I'll show him what for.' Sadly Brian was on guard duty outside the room Daichi had slept in so he walked right into him. "Hm? Finally awake are ya? I know you're probably mad at Spencer for punching you but that's what happens when somebody moves towards Kai with intent to cause him harm. The others are waiting for you. In fact, they were worried you'd never wake up." Daichi scratched the back of his head feeling confused. He recognised Brian but couldn't figure out where'd he'd seen him before. The room was completely silent when Daichi walked in. Everyone seemed to be in thought. "Hey guys. Mind telling me what's going on around here? I was busy training yesterday when Strata Dragoon suddenly got a distress call from one of your bitbeasts." "Daichi, we've got a lot to tell you. Sit down kid. This is gonna take a while." Daichi did as he was told, noticing the physical change in his teammates. "Hey wait a sec. You all have…" Hiro put up a hand to silence Daichi before he could upset Kai. She was already a few words away from tears. Hiro couldn't seem to find the words he wanted to say so Spencer took it upon himself to be the speaker. "Listen punk. You remember Boris don't you?" "Boris? The name rings a…the dude that tried taking over beyblading two years ago?" "That's the one." "But what's this got to do with him? He's in prison isn't he?" "Boris has everything to do with what happened to your team. About two months ago he had them ambushed at a falsely arranged open day. You can see the results of the attack clearly." Daichi struggled to understand what Spencer was trying to tell him. "But why do this?" "Because he's a sexist pig and will stop at nothing to get the four sacred bitbeasts. Kai included." "Well he's got another thing coming then."

Spencer found himself in agreement with Daichi. The kid was foolish at times but he was loyal to his friends. And it seemed them being turned into girls did little to change that. They were all waiting for Daichi to ask where Grandpa Granger was since he hadn't seen the hip old man. To save everyone the pain, Spencer took Daichi outside. "Where are we going?" "I trust you've noticed somebody missing?" "Now that you mention it big guy I have. Old man hippy dude. Where is he?" "It'll be better if you see it for yourself. The others are hurting enough." Spencer gave Daichi a little nudge out the back door and watched in silence. Of course Daichi was confused by Spencer's actions but the reason for them soon became clear. Tears welled up in Daichi's eyes the second he saw the gravestone. "No this can't be. He was so strong. How long has it been since Grandpa went away?" Spencer was now standing beside Daichi, his eyes closed in a silent prayer. "Only a couple of weeks. It was so sudden too. That old man treated me and my brothers kindly regardless of our past. Seeing him go like that hurt us too. Get on your knees." "What?" "I said on your knees. I'm teaching you something me and my brothers used to do years ago." "Oh okay." Daichi didn't argue, kneeling down in front of the grave. "Now close your eyes. And send your last wish for him silently. Think it, and he'll hear you. At least that's what we believe." "You mean like a prayer?" "Yes just like a prayer." Bruce watched from inside as Spencer tutored Daichi. He was happy to see them getting along. Times were hard and the last thing they all needed was a fight starting. Natsu appeared beside him rather unexpectedly. "Is that him?" "Natsu you scared me. Yeah that's my dad out there under the bush. My wife is beside him." "I'm sorry to hear it. How long has she been gone?" "Roughly seventeen years. Tyson was but a baby when Daisy passed on. She contracted an illness during labour and died months later." "So we both know how it feels to lose a lover. Only I never got to watch my husband die in front of me." "I'm glad you didn't. It's horrible to watch them suffer and then suddenly they go. I was with my dad when he passed on too."

By nightfall Daichi had been brought up to speed with everything. The Blitzkrieg Boys headed home close to 10pm so Tala could get some decent rest. Crickets chirped in the grass outside soothing everyone and their worries. Natsu found she couldn't sleep, sitting out in the cherry tree looking at the stars. They shone like diamonds against dark blue silk. Natsu found herself accompanied by a stray cat and she smiled. "Hey kitty. Guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep around here." The cat purred in content as Natsu scratched it behind the ear. Memories of Sumaru brought tears to Natsu's eyes. She felt lonely without him. 'Oh Sumaru. How I miss the nights where you would hold me tight. Are you up in heaven watching me or down here on earth trying to find me? I'll probably never know. There's nothing I wouldn't give to spend one night with you. You were my world, Sumaru. And now you're gone. But I finally found our little boy. He's all grown up. He has your temper and mine. Kai's made some good friends. They're very kind and welcomed me with open arms despite knowing that I had left him. You'd be proud of Kai, Sumaru. He dug a mans' grave and made his coffin.' The cat meowed when a few silver tears landed on its face. Natsu realised then that she was crying. "I'm sorry kitty. I just miss my husband is all." Natsu's voice cracked due to her tears and the cat understood her pain, rubbing against Natsu with an even louder purr. "I should go inside and try to sleep at least. Thank you for keeping me company. Maybe I'll see you again someday." Natsu left her perch in the tree and crept inside, hoping nobody was aware that she'd been outside crying. Natsu fell asleep quite quickly upon resting her head on the puffy pillows. It would take her a while to get used to the other side of the bed being empty. Bruce patrolled the halls with a lantern, not wanting to wake the others with a brighter light. He checked every room until only Natsu's remained. Something about Natsu worried Bruce so he quietly stepped inside and set the lantern down by the door. The air hitched in Bruce's throat when he laid his eyes on Natsu. She was even more beautiful with her amethyst eyes closed. Bruce stroked Natsu's cheek without even thinking and softly kissed her lips. She shuffled a little and mumbled Sumaru's name. 'Sleep tight Natsu. I'll take care of you now.'

The next month went by with no real problems. Tala had taken a week off of work due to his emotional stress. Tomoko had visited him at home, worried that his new buddy would be scarred for life. Hiro and Max kept their relationship secret, unsure of how the others would react. Spencer and Brian were getting closer to the beautiful women they worked with and Kai's feelings for Spencer grew each day. Ian kept things mutual between him and Abby. The first week of April was soon at hand. The Blitzkrieg Boys all had the week off of work so they decided to treat the BladeBreakers to a day out. Sure it was dangerous but they deserved to have some fun outside of the dojo. All busy places were ruled out so no theme parks or cinemas. The park was under debate and camping was completely out of the question. Nowhere was safe from the media. Nobody could come up with any good ideas. That was until Spencer took a trip to the beach. The only real safe place was the open sea! Before getting any hopes up, Spencer had words with Brian, Ian and Tala first. True they would need a boat big enough to fit them all on but Spencer was a qualified boatman. The other three Russians were all for a sea trip, leaving Spencer to tell the others. As you could imagine, Hiro was a little nervous of the idea but he agreed with it. Bruce and Natsu would also be going. Now all Spencer had to do was buy a boat. The trip wasn't to happen for a couple of days so he had plenty of time to get things sorted. And spend time with Syldra. With things arranged, Hilary got the girls some suitable clothing for the day. Kai flat down refused to wear the bikini Hilary had gotten for her but the sly brunette had a few tricks up her sleeves, playing on the knowledge that Kai was attracted to Spencer. The others weren't so uptight. Natsu was worse than Kai but she was more silent about her unease. It was mainly due to the fact of there being so many men around. Tala was also being stubborn about going shirtless after what he'd been through over recent weeks. Bruce bonded with Natsu on Thursday morning, preparing some food for the trip. Everyone was surprised when they saw the vessel that would be carrying them. Spencer had even bought scuba gear.

Once all the safety checks were done the anchor was lifted and off they went. The sea was calm and there was no sign of a storm. Whilst the luxury yacht sailed swiftly to its destination its passengers changed into their cooler clothes. It was no surprise that the men all went shirtless. The girls however had all eyes on them. Natsu and Kai were in almost identical bikinis. The tops were halter necked and revealed a lot of breast whilst the bottoms were a comfortable brief design. Both parts were coloured deep blue. Natsu's was a shade lighter than Kai's. Ray was in a gold coloured bikini with regular straps and thong bottoms that she was none too pleased with. Max of course was in orange, a yellow sarong around her waist. Her hair was tied into short high pigtails for the day and she looked fairly cute. Tyson's bikini top was strapless and crimpled in the middle. The cups were different colours. One was pale red and the other baby blue. Her bottoms followed a similar trend. Kenny was in a peach bikini that didn't show much off. And Hilary looked absolutely gorgeous in a strapless brown bikini that had a pretty pink flower between the breasts. Her bottoms were also thonged. The boys could hardly take their eyes away. With the exception of Spencer since he was piloting the yacht. For a little while they all sat in the sun soaking up the rays without a care. But then the boat stopped leaving them confused. "Hey Spencer what's up?" "I think this spot will do nicely. Brian could you check the area below for any sharks?" "Sure thing. Should I get eaten, I'll come back to haunt you." "Yes I know Brian. Just hurry up so I can set the anchor down." Ian helped Brian suit up in some scuba gear and a camera so he could report back to Spencer. The others watched quietly as Brian slowly fell back into the water. They could just imagine what Brian was thinking. The water wasn't exactly warm. There wasn't much in the way of life for a few minutes until Brian stumbled across something big and grey. "Err Spencer. I think Brian just found your boy." "What?! The hell is he doing here?" Spencer looked at the screen to see Ian was right. "Guess I'm going in. You know what to do Ian." "Aye skipper." "Shut it. Before you guys ask I've been sponsoring the care of a sperm whale for the last few years. Turns out he's here."

Minutes later Spencer joined Brian in the water. Since Ian had to watch the wheel, Tala was in charge of the monitors. The mighty sea giant soon surfaced for air, spraying water everywhere. Luckily nobody got soaked. "Wow he sure is big." "Yup. That's a sperm whale for you. Normally they dive down pretty deep. Or so I've read. Is he human friendly Tala?" "I believe so. Not all sea creatures are violent. Brian what's that to your right?" Tala's eyes were glued to the screen as Brian slowly turned around, the camera lens focusing on what looked like a pod of dolphins. "Hold it right there. But I'm no expert on this kinda stuff." Hilary looked over Tala's shoulder, her breasts almost touching his arm. "I can't tell from this distance. Could Brian get a little closer? Dolphins are normally very friendly creatures. Curious too." "Alright Brian you heard the woman. But move slowly. Don't want any accidents." Brian did as he was instructed, his heart racing. Hilary kept her eyes trained on the group of unknown creatures. To her relief and Tala's it was just a pod of dolphins. "He's safe. Just a family of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. Probably hunting. You can relax Tala. Brian's not on the menu." "I never thought he was." "Liar. We know you boys too well by now. So who's up for a swim?" "Whoa hey wait a minute! Spencer hasn't given the all clear. Nobody goes down there unless he says it's okay." Tala shrieked in fright when the man in question threw him into the water. "Well I say it's fine. Have a nice swim!" "You asshole Spencer!" Very few people were brave enough to go diving. Natsu had a perfect reason not to join in. She couldn't swim. Not wanting Natsu to feel lonely, Bruce stayed on the yacht with her. Tala hauled himself out of the water looking like a drowned rat, panting heavily. To make Kai feel more comfortable, Spencer stuck by her side. Ian was kind enough to wrap a warm towel around Tala's shaking frame. He didn't seem too keen on going swimming himself. The dolphins Hilary identified came over for a little play and even allowed the others to grab onto them for a joyride. After a few hours of fun it was time to head back to solid ground. Oddly, Tala couldn't keep his eyes off of Hilary as she dried herself with a clean towel.

After the long journey back it was roughly time for supper so in return for the day out, the Blitzkrieg Boys were treated to dinner. Ray took the risk of teaching Brian how to cook at the same time as preparing the evening meal. Hilary was also on hand to help. Brian was learning quite quickly to Ray's surprise but she wondered if anything was really going to sink in and stay put. "That was very nice of you guys. Taking us out for the day." Brian almost jumped out of his skin. Hilary could see where the conversation would probably be going so she left the pair in peace. "Well Ray it was the least we could do. You've all been cooped up for months." "You can speak your mind Brian. You know I won't bite." Ray smiled to herself when Brian started stuttering. He always did when it came to voicing feelings or opinions. Soon he just blurted out the words that refused to be spoken but not hastily. "You looked very pretty today." "There now that wasn't so hard. You've Hilary to thank for that. In all honesty Brian I was against wearing that thing." "You were?" "Yeah. Especially since I kept getting a wedgie from my own bottoms." Brian snickered, earning him a punch on the arm from Ray. "Hey Ray. Remember we talked a couple of months ago about the right girl for me?" "As if it was only yesterday. Have you found her already?" Brian grew nervous again so Ray asked Hilary and Hiro to take over in the kitchen so she and Brian could have a chat in private. Despite being alone with Ray Brian was still edgy and couldn't relax. "Calm down Brian. You never talk about your job with us. We've all been eager to learn more about what you do." "Sorry Ray I just. I'm afraid they'll laugh at me." "Now you're just being silly Brian. We'd never do that." "It's a fear I have. And have had for a while. But I guess you could say I've found the right girl. Melody was entrusted with teaching me the ropes and now we're officially work partners. Something about her makes me relax." "She sounds wonderful." "Well it's not all rainbows and butterflies Ray. She's been a victim of sexual abuse in the past. And I've already made an enemy out of a man who would possibly do anything to get to her." "Then you should be careful. Do I get to know what she looks like?" To Ray's surprise Brian pulled out a picture of him and Melody. They looked happy.

"She's very pretty. Not quite what I had imagined." Ray handed the photo back to Brian, an unexpected pang of hurt in her chest. Fortunately Brian hadn't noticed the look on Ray's face. "So what about you Ray?" "Me?" "Who would be your ideal man? Maybe I can return the favour." Ray hadn't expected Brian to turn the tables so she was very uncertain. "I don't know. In truth I haven't thought that far yet." "That's alright. I'm just not sure if I should tell her. Y'know." "Yeah I know Brian. Considering what Melody's been through I would suggest you let her make the first move. Women that have been abused need time. She'll be no different." As if on cue, Brian's phone went off and it was Melody calling him. "Hey Melody. This is a surprise. How's your holiday going?" ("It could be better. I was just wondering if we could go out tomorrow. It doesn't have to be anywhere fancy.") "Yeah sure. I didn't have anything planned. What time should I pick you up?" ("About one o'clock. Is that alright?") "It's fine. You sound ill Melody. Is everything alright?" ("Just a stomach bug. I'll be fine by morning. If not I'll let you know.") "Well you just get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." Ray listened quietly. It felt weird hearing Brian talking to somebody else. A person he was comfortable with being around. Brian ended the call with a smile on his face that faded when he saw the look on Ray's face. "Ray what's wrong?" "Hm? Oh nothing. I was just thinking." "About what? You can tell me. I'm your buddy." 'If only it was that simple. What if Brian took it the wrong way and stormed off?' Ray suddenly found herself in Brian's arms quite unexpectedly. "Cheer up Ray. I'm sure Melody wouldn't mind if you came along." "No thanks Brian. I don't want to spoil things for you when they're looking up." "But you won't." "Melody might not see it your way Brian. If she does like you that way then me being there would threaten her." "I guess you're right Ray. I just want you to meet her." "I know Brian. Come on. Dinner will be ready soon I wager. And Daichi will likely be causing trouble again." Brian gave a small nod and followed Ray downstairs. Ian immediately started poking fun at Brian but it obviously didn't go down well with either him or Ray.

Later on that night Ray found herself thinking about Brian and how she felt about him. She'd been feeling something for the falcon master over the last few weeks, unsure of what it was. Ray told herself many times that it couldn't be love. But look where that got Max. It pained Ray to see happy couples. 'Maybe I should take my own advice for once. But what if Brian doesn't want me? He likes Melody and I really don't want to ruin that bond. Ian's not my type, Spencer's too buff and Tala…I'd rather not go there. And I'm too scared to meet a total stranger given who I used to be. Lee wouldn't touch me that way. I know that for sure. Why is my life so screwed up? Ugh here I am complaining when I'm not the one who was abused during childhood.' Ray didn't expect Bruce to sit beside her. He'd apparently picked up on her unease. "Anything I can do to help?" "Depends if you know any nice young men. Anything to distract me from these feelings that'll only cause trouble." "Ray, I can see you've developed feelings for Brian recently. You've set aside your differences and become good friends. Brian looks up to you for a lot of things. Maybe if you tried talking to Brian about it before things get serious between him and this mystery woman. I'm sure he'd understand." "But what if he turns around and says I don't appeal to him? That I'm not his type?" "Rejection is a hard thing to swallow. I know it well. At least ask Brian how he thinks of you. It doesn't have to be verbal. You can text him if you're scared to ask Brian to his face. In fact, do it now. Whilst I'm here. That way you have support." "Thanks Bruce. I'll do that." For a few minutes Ray struggled to find the right way to ask Brian how he felt about her so Bruce took the phone from Ray's hands, showing her the text before sending it. Brian was half way to dream world when his phone vibrated on the table. 'Who on earth would be texting me at this time of night?' Brian's mental question answered itself when he saw Ray's name on the screen. Thinking something was wrong, Brian opened the message. 'Don't take this the wrong way but how do you feel about me? What the fuck is this all about?' Brian's mind was like a labyrinth as he texted back, being careful not to sound too aggressive. With the message sent Brian allowed his head to fall back down onto the soft pillows.

Ray was nervous as she awaited Brian's reply. So nervous that when it came she didn't want to look. Bruce wasn't going to force Ray so he looked in her place. As expected, the reply didn't bring good news. "Well Ray Brian says he sees you as a friend. A very good friend but nothing more. He has no special feelings for you." "Just as I expected." "Give him time. You never know Ray. Maybe Brian is in the same sort of situation." "Yeah with a woman who isn't me." "Then there's only really one thing for it. You need to meet somebody similar to Brian who has no knowledge of you at all." "But what if they find a way to change us back? I can't suddenly become a man and say hi honey. I lied about a few things." "But do you want to? That's the thing. You seem perfectly happy like this Ray. And I would be happy to support you if you chose to remain this way." "I don't know anymore Bruce. I'll be honest. Women don't exactly look my way. But there's the chance that Boris could try something again. I keep getting the feeling he's connected to Kenshiro kidnapping and raping Kai." "So do I Ray. For now we'll keep a low profile. Boris shouldn't suspect a thing if you use a false name on a dating site. I doubt he even looks on them." "Unless he wants a partner in crime who's just as sick." Bruce couldn't argue on that point, telling Ray to get some sleep and that they'd get things rolling in the morning. Before heading to bed Bruce checked if Natsu was okay. He was happy to see her sleeping without a care in the world. Unknown to the residents inside, there was a man wearing black standing outside the dojo, his grey eyes watching as Bruce's bedroom light went out. In his hands was an AK-47 with the safety lock on. The man wore an earpiece that allowed somebody to command him. After ten minutes he moved away as a patrolling police car came by. The remainder of the night was quiet with no signs of danger. The strange man took refuge in an abandoned warehouse. There was little in the way of life in his eyes. Almost as if somebody had ripped the soul right out of him. There was a scar on the mans' shoulder where a bullet had penetrated both flesh and bone. Seeing it brought back memories that the man never knew he had.

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The team is all together now. Will things get better or will they decline? Read on and find out. If you dare


	7. Ranmaru

With the twist of the last chapter over with, it's time to add another one. New Character Time! Yep that's right, a new family member for Kai. But how will this new face be related to him? And why does he show up now? Well I'm not telling you, read and find out you cheeky things.

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7

Ray woke up to a joyous birdsong the next morning. She got out of bed and headed downstairs in only her nightie. Upon entering the kitchen. Ray saw Natsu at the oven. She seemed disturbed. Ray chose not to speak, flicking the kettle on. "Sit yourself down Ray. I'll deal with that." "You don't have to." "I want to." "You seem a little…off this morning. Is everything alright?" "I'm not sure Ray. I. I felt him last night. Outside." "Felt who? You can trust me. I won't tell the others." The look in Natsu's eyes told Ray everything she needed to know, falling completely silent. "Foolish I know. After all he's supposed to be dead." "But you have no proof that Sumaru was killed." "True. So far I've only told Kai this but. Sumaru once worked for BIOVOLT." "He what?" "It wasn't his choice. Voltaire forced Sumaru into it when he left college. After I met him, Sumaru chose his own path." "Voltaire must've been furious." "He was. All Voltaire knew was that Sumaru had found a partner. He didn't meet me until Kai was five years old." Ray suddenly felt sick to her stomach. What if Natsu had felt Sumaru outside during the night? Was he friend or foe? Over thirteen years a lot could've changed. For all they knew Voltaire could've corrupted Sumaru's memory or found a way to control him. Those thoughts darkened Ray's mood so she tried not to dwell on them. Nothing further came of the conversation as Kai trudged into the kitchen looking half dead. She was just as surprised as Ray had been to find her mother cooking breakfast. One by one the others piled in and very few of them were fully awake. They were grateful to Natsu but told her she didn't have to baby them. In a polite way so not to upset her. Bruce was able to get Ray alone at around 10am so they could get things started. "So Ray are you ready?" "Not really but it must be done. I was thinking maybe I could change my hair colour." "That's a good idea. But we'll need Hilary's help for that. Especially since your hair will have to be bleached first." "Due to it being black. I know." "Good lass. I know a good dating website. Don't tell Tyson but I've been looking for a new woman to be at my side." "She'll not hear of it."

Half an hour later Ray's false file was set up. Now all she had to do was change her hair colour to chestnut brown and they were good to go. To give the others a shock later, Bruce took Ray to Hilary's place to have her hair done. Hiro knew his dad was up to something but he couldn't put a finger on it. Hilary was happy to see Ray despite the circumstances. "Alright Ray are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this?" "Yes Hilary I'm sure." "Okay then. I've actually had to ask a good friend of mine to help because I don't know how to bleach someone's hair. She works at a nearby salon. It should be empty by now so let's go. I was told we could stop by at any time. I might even have my hair done." Ray was frozen solid in the front passenger seat of Bruce's car. She'd never been to a hairdresser before. Hilary's friend was a pretty woman about Spencer's height and very attractive. When she spoke, her voice held an American accent. "Mia it's good to see you again." "You too Hilary. So is this Raine?" "Yup. Raine this is Mia. I've told her everything you want done so don't worry." "And I'm paying for it. Though we'd better keep that quiet from the others." Ray took a moment to look at Mia, noticing how tall she was. "Wow you're pretty tall." "Well Raine 7ft tall women grow on trees in Miami. I moved here for a change of pace and scenery. I was tired of the sun. And I'm joking about women growing on trees. That's just not possible." 'I think Spencer would like this one.' First off, Mia trimmed Ray's hair to just above her bottom and then bleached it. The bleaching alone took an hour so Bruce and Hilary talked the time away. They were even treated to coffee and biscuits. Roughly another hour later Ray's hair had been died and was now being styled. Once Mia was done Ray had wavy chestnut brown hair. "So what do you think? Isn't she gorgeous?" "Okay my turn now. You don't have to stay Bruce. I'll be okay getting home." "If you insist. Well let's go. Thanks Mia. You've done a great job." "Always a pleasure Bruce. Remember you'll have to crimp your hair every morning if you want it to stay like that." "Okay. Thank you." "Take care now. Go get 'em tiger." Ray found herself blushing as she and Bruce left the salon.

The dojo was surprisingly quiet when the duo returned. Ray felt uneasy with the silence. Both she and Bruce were nervous about going inside. To be safe, Bruce went in first. Almost everyone was gathered in the living room. Tala, Brian and Spencer were missing. Ozuma's crew had apparently arrived during Bruce and Ray's absence. "What's going on? Why are you all so quiet?" "Ozuma can explain it a bit better dad. Where's Ray?" "I told her to wait outside since it was so quiet in here. We thought something was wrong." Bruce's prediction about the others being shocked was right on the money. They hardly recognised Ray at all. "What happened to your hair Ray?!" "I wanted a change. Is that wrong?" "Well no but. It looks nice." "Thanks Kenny. So Ozuma what brings you here? I guess Kai's off hiding again." "Yes. Sit yourselves down before I start. It's concerning what happened two months ago when Kai was kidnapped." A look of worry set itself on Ray's face. Bruce also feared the worst. "Joseph analysed the drugs we found at the scene and the results we got are very troubling. They not only made Kai docile but in addition, regardless of menstruation, increases the chance of getting pregnant. In other words, Kai could possibly be expecting a child in eight months. He just doesn't know it." "Have you told him this?" "No. I fancy living thanks. Same goes for his brothers. I'd rather they heard it from somebody they trust." "That's understandable. Spencer's gonna go through the roof when he finds out." Ozuma sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I hate to be the bringer of more bad news but there's been somebody watching this place. And he's always armed with an AK-47 and I mean always. We know this because I send Joseph to check the place out at night. Only the perimeter. He never steps inside." Bruce noticed Natsu excusing herself from the room. She looked fairly ill. The news of a stalker worried him. "We don't know anybody that carries a gun. Do you know where this stranger takes residence?" "No. He's sharp so Joseph can't follow him to his hideout. It's only a matter of time before something bad happens. It would be wise for you to have better protection. We're merely guardians for your bitbeasts." Ian gave Ozuma the thumbs up with a cheeky smile. "Leave it to me Ozuma. I'm a master of defensive gadgets."

"I should very much hope so. We don't know how tactical this man is. All Joseph remembers of his appearance is a pair of piercing grey eyes." When Natsu returned Bruce had to quickly catch her as she fell. "I got ya. Sit yourself down Natsu." "Thank you Bruce. I have a feeling that Boris is connected to this stalker. Please keep what I'm about to tell you quiet. Kai can't know. He's broken enough." "They won't say a word Natsu. What's wrong?" "I. I felt a very familiar presence outside last night. One that I haven't felt in thirteen years. Maybe I'm mistaken but…it felt like Sumaru was close by." The room went silent. Almost as if it had just transformed into a graveyard. "Furthermore before Sumaru met me he was forced to work for BIOVOLT. There's a possibility that Boris didn't kill him." "And turned your husband into a soldier. That bastard. Is there anything he won't do?" "I'm not sure. Does Kai know Boris is out of prison?" "No and we plan to keep it that way for as long as possible." Natsu met Ian's red eyes to find he was very serious. She understood that keeping the truth from Kai would protect her for a while but not forever. One way or another she would find out. And then there'd be hell to pay. "I understand the risks involved with lying to Kai. Doing so is life threatening. Worse than slipping him sleeping pills. It's for his own good. He'd only go on a rampage and get hurt or worse. We don't want that." "Then I'll support you. Who will tell Kai he could be pregnant?" Nobody seemed willing to volunteer so Natsu took it upon herself to journey upstairs where she found Kai fast asleep. Dranzer was glowing beside her in a worried fashion. Kai looked so innocent Natsu didn't have the heart to wake her up. 'I'll let him sleep for now. Maybe if Dranzer passed on the message for me. I'm not entirely confident about this situation. Kai will listen to Dranzer. She's always protected him.' With her mind made up, Natsu took Dranzer off of the pillow and stared into the bitchip, relaying her message to the loyal phoenix. A faint screech filled Natsu's head so she knew Dranzer understood, setting her back down to watch over Kai a while. Regardless of the situation, Natsu had a vague glimmer of hope that Sumaru was alive.

Later on in the early evening Brian, Tala and Spencer arrived looking a little weary. They'd apparently only gone to the dojo to collect Ian. But instead of the planned short stay the boys were told everything Ozuma's crew had found out. Spencer did indeed go through the roof at discovering Kai could very well be pregnant. It took some fighting to stop him killing Kenshiro at the hospital. News of an armed stalker did little to improve his mood. Tala opted to keep night watch over cameras, not voicing the reason in front of strangers. With everything going haywire nobody thought to ask the boys how their day had been. Before leaving Spencer checked to see if Kai was okay. He was calmed to know that Natsu wasn't going far, leaving Kai under her protection for the night. Ray had been out of sight during the visit, returning from the kitchen with a tray of drinks. "I trust everything went well?" "Sort of. Spencer is absolutely livid. If looks could kill we'd all be dead. I'll be surprised if he sleeps at all." "Well it's to be expected given the bond he shares with Kai. I can't say I blame him. Where's Natsu?" "She's still with Kai. We're all worried. If Boris was behind the kidnapping then we should expect some sort of communication within the next month. I get the feeling he's watching us daily. And I very much dislike that idea." Hiro drew one of his knees up to hide his face behind it, one arm draped over the propped up joint. It wasn't easy for Hiro to sit still at a time like this. Ray knew that. After all, she was the only one who knew Hiro had received advanced ninja training. Something nearby was agitating Hiro as his eyes were menacingly evil. Nobody had seen this side to Hiro and so it scared them. Even Bruce kept his distance. Only Ray was confident enough to approach Hiro and set a hand on his shoulder, feeling Hiro's pulse racing. "Calm down. Whoever is out there won't dare try anything in broad daylight. Not while I'm around." Unfortunately Hiro had become so antsy he left the room hurriedly. He wanted to make sure his team was safe, Max mainly. Ray wished there was something she could do to soothe Hiro but nothing came to mind. Something caught the corner of Hiro's eye so he followed it. The same thing made its way onto the roof with ease, Hiro in hot pursuit. He didn't expect to come face to face with a hooded ninja who handed him a scroll and vanished out of sight.

Hiro's unease grew now he knew there was a ninja on the prowl. Whilst the others weren't around, Hiro opened the scroll and read it. _"Hiro-san I understand you are having troubles of late concerning your team. The ninja who gave you this scroll is another student of mine. I pray he wasn't too slippery to catch. I've sent him to watch over you when night falls. For all the misfortune of late I hope this scroll finds you well. Word has reached me that Natsu Hiwatari is alive and well. Please give her my best wishes. You'll find out in time how I know her and our connection. Never forget your training Hiro-san. And let the wind guide you." _'Sensei Raiga. I'm grateful for your help. Even though I did not request it. I should give Natsu this message from him. How does my sensei know her?' His mind made up, Hiro made his way to Kai's room, keeping the scroll hidden from the others. Natsu was a little surprised to see Hiro let alone the face he was wearing. "Hiro is something wrong?" "I'm just a little confused. A while ago I went through ninja training in a distant village. My sensei has heard on the wind that we're having trouble and has sent another of his students to protect us in the night. He also found out that you are alive and requested that I give you his best wishes." "I understand that ninja are sworn to secrecy but what is the name of your sensei Hiro?" "Raiga of the Howling Winds." Natsu's eyes widened at the name spoken so Hiro guessed it held some significance. "An old friend of yours Natsu?" "He's more than a friend Hiro. Raiga of the Howling Winds is my uncle. There are some things I never told Sumaru. Being a trained assassin was one of them. Some of my skills I passed down to Kai when he was younger. Sumaru believed it was something to do with my lineage. He couldn't of been more wrong. I guess that's why you're called Jin of the Gale. Am I correct?" Hiro nodded his head briskly before turning to leave. Natsu placed a hand on Hiro's arm with a look that begged forgiveness. "I'm sorry I never told you, Hiro. From the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you were an assassin of the shadows." "You've nothing to be sorry for Natsu. We're sworn to secrecy remember?" "Yes we are."

Once the moon was high in the sky a dark figure perched themselves atop the dojo roof, eyes piercing the darkness. So far there was no sign of the armed stalker. This was good news for the people inside but also bad. If their bodyguard couldn't see him, where was he? The rooftop guardian was dressed in mainly black with a crimson red scarf around their neck, billowing in the wind. They wore traditional ninja garb and covered all traces of their face minus the eyes. Glowering amethyst eyes scanned the area. A second figure joined the first. This second masked warrior made no move to harm the other, crouching down to minimize the chance of being spotted. "You must be Jin. My sensei has told me all about you." "Wisely spotted. What gave me away?" "The wind picked up a little upon your arrival. And your scarf. It is unique compared to ours. I just finished my training. Therefore I have not a rank like yourself." Hiro smiled from behind the mask. He wore a black version of the outfit that Tyson's lot had first seen him in with the addition of hair coverage. The afore mentioned scarf was stormy grey in colour with wisps of silver and was made of silk. "Tell me fledgling, what is your name?" "They call me Ranmaru of the Biting Breeze, Jin of the Gale." "Your name must hold meaning. It was rather cold inside earlier." "That would've been my arrival. I take a biting breeze wherever I go, chilling foes to the spot before swiftly serving their fate." Hiro could hear passion in the boys' voice and he admired it. Yet the kid wasn't quite emotionless as most ninja were. Hiro suddenly caught a movement in the corner of his right eye, turning to see the stalker had made his presence known. 'Here he is. Our determined fan boy. He's armed to do some serious damage. Ranmaru needs to be careful. He probably hasn't been trained to fight gunmen before.' Hiro gave Ranmaru a small signal that told the fledgling ninja to be careful. The man below was not oblivious to their presence, taking up a staring contest with Hiro. For a moment it looked like neither one was winning until the armed stalker took aim at Hiro. By the time the gun had been loaded and the safety latch flipped, Hiro and Ranmaru were out of sight. An almighty gust of wind rattled the windows and doors of the dojo as Hiro crouched in the front yard, a sword drawn. "Leave. Now. Or I'll shred you where you stand."

The man didn't move, pointing his gun at Hiro again. He had no chance to fire as Ranmaru struck him from behind. Neither of them wished to kill the man but if he fought they'd have no choice. In a flash Hiro made a nasty cut across the man's abdomen, allowing blood to come pouring out. Ranmaru darted around leaving behind little cuts that burned angrily at the victim. But the burning wasn't hot. It was freezing cold. The man fled when the main door was slid open and Ranmaru returned to his perch on the roof. Hiro sheathed his sword after spinning it in a fancy way and turned around to see Natsu had woken up. "What's going on out here?" "Natsu you should be inside. It's chilly out here and you'll catch a death of cold." "What happened Hiro? Did he come back?" "He won't be bothering us for a while. He's got a few wounds to nurse." "You attacked him?" "The guy pointed a gun at me. If I hadn't of defended myself I'd be on the floor dead. Relax the wounds aren't serious enough to kill him. Go on inside. I'll follow shortly. I have a student. Sort of." "Okay. Don't be too long." Hiro relaxed when Natsu returned to her bed, perching beside Ranmaru once again. "Alright kid I need you to keep a vigilant watch. He could come back at any minute. I'll guard the inside just in case. Just chill me if you need help okay?" "Sure. I like you. You're not like the others. They poke fun at me most days." "I was bullied too so I understand how you must feel. They'll accept you in the end. Trust me on that. Don't be afraid to visit during daylight. You're always welcome here while I'm around." "Thank you Jin-san. I really appreciate that." Hiro clapped Ranmaru on the shoulder before heading inside. He left the lights off but attached a little torch to his jacket. Hiro felt reassured to know Ranmaru was outside keeping watch. The first light of day started creeping over the trees so Ranmaru departed after bidding Hiro farewell. The boy appeared to be enjoying himself being in Hiro's company. With the hour being early, Hiro changed into his regular clothes but still kept watch. An attack was still possible so he wasn't ready to kick back and relax. After downing a coffee Hiro checked all the rooms, stopping at Max's longer than the others. 'At least she's safe.'

A couple of days went by after the stalker had been dissuaded from trying anything. Hiro had worked out a rota between him and Ranmaru. Each night they'd switch duties, mainly so Ranmaru could get used to the air of the building. There had been no signs of a possible date for Ray and she saddened. By the next Friday things were looking a little on the up side. The stalker hadn't returned, probably planning his next move. So far Kai showed no signs of being pregnant but nobody got their hopes up. At midday a parcel arrived for Hiro, a fairly heavy parcel. "Okay this is weird. Hiro never gets presents." "You never know Ray. He might have a mystery girlfriend" 'I can't wait to see the look on Tyson's face when she finds out. What the hell is in this box? Hiro won't like being disturbed but I'm just the messenger.' Pushing her thoughts to one side, Ray knocked on Max's door, paying no attention to the pleasurable moaning coming from inside. "Hiro I hate to interrupt your fun but a parcel just came for you. A heavy parcel." Ray waited a few minutes more before Hiro opened the door in only his shorts. "A parcel you say?" "Yup. This little bugger right here. Should I drop it off in your room? It looks important." Hiro knew what Ray was hinting at and it wasn't towards his affair with Max. "Yeah sure. I'll get to it in about ten minutes. Thanks Ray." "No problem. Just um…try to keep it down. Next time it may not be me at the door." "Right. It's not me you have to tell that to." Hiro scratched the back of his head nervously, a rosy blush painting his bronze cheeks. Ray walked away from the door once it was closed and entered Hiro's room to drop off the parcel. She set it down on the bedside table and returned to the others seconds after another parcel had arrived. This time it was for Natsu. Ray groaned as she marched back up the stairs. To her surprise Natsu wasn't with Kai. "Hey Kai. I'm looking for your mom. A parcel just came for her." "Parcel? I don't know where she is Ray. Try outside. She's fond of the cherry tree out front. But who would be sending her a parcel? I doubt she's told anyone of her whereabouts." "It does beg the question but I'll try not to pry. It could be personal." Ray was a little worried when she couldn't find Natsu up in the tree until a stone hit the back of her head. Looking up, she saw Ranmaru on the roof in his ninja gear.

"Can I help you?" "Don't worry about me. I'm just a bodyguard." "Who sent you?" "If you knew anything about ninjas you'd understand that I cannot answer your question, Neko-Jin. Fear not. I'm here to protect you not cause harm." "Alright. In that case have you seen a grey haired woman about the premises? I have a parcel here for her." "Grey haired? Not too sure. I've only been here about five minutes. I'll have a quick look around." Ranmaru stood up from his sitting position to scan the surrounding area. His eagle eyes found nothing, giving Ray a negative shake of the head. "Well thanks anyway. You can come in y'know." "I'll pass thanks. If you see Jin, let him know I'm here. Oops!" "It's alright kid. I know what Hiro is. He told me. I'll pass the message on for you. Is there a name I can give?" "Biting Breeze. That's all he needs to know." Ray went back inside, running a hand through her hair. If Natsu wasn't outside or with Kai then where the heck was she? First of all Ray went to see if Hiro was out of the shower. To her misfortune he was just getting out as she walked into the bathroom. "Flipping hell Ray!" "I did knock!" "Is it bother Hiro day or something?!" "I have a message for you. Biting Breeze is out on the roof." "He's early. Thanks Ray. Another present?" "For Natsu this time. It's got the same handwriting on it that yours has." "She should be in her room. I'd be careful though. I think she's meditating." 'Great. If there's one thing I've learned it's to never disturb a meditating Neko-Jin. Brian, it was nice knowing you.' Ray feared the worst as she knocked on Natsu's door. A feeling of relief settled in when it opened to reveal a smiling face. Ray wordlessly handed the parcel to Natsu and vanished out of sight. Natsu guessed why Ray was so nervous. 'She's been trained well. But I don't meditate often. I get the feeling I know what's in this box. Years ago I left the ninja village hidden in the wind, my gear too. Uncle Raiga probably feels I have need of it.' Natsu opened the box to find her suspicions had been confirmed. Inside was a black ninja suit with a purple silk scarf owning gold stars. 'Natsu of the Clear Skies. That's what they called me. Thank you uncle. I'll make you proud.'

About an hour went by after Natsu received her parcel. Hiro had sent Ranmaru to get changed and come back after a heated debate. They needn't know of Ranmaru's secret side. He wanted the boy to make friends and live a normal life too. There was no need for him to live all his life in the shadows. Hiro was the only one not confused when a purple haired amethyst eyed man showed up. Now that Ranmaru was in lighter clothes Hiro got a better look at him. Unlike most ninja, Ranmaru was built for power more than agility. His torso was v-shaped, arms and legs muscular beyond belief. But most of all Hiro was surprised to see how much Ranmaru looked like Natsu. He estimated him to be no older than Kai. "Are you happy now?" "Very. I can see everyone is confused so it's time I came clean, Ray could you close the doors please? I'd rather this was kept private." The room darkened slightly as all the doors were closed and blinds pulled shut. "This will come as a shock to most of you." "Hiro what's going on? Who is this creep?" Hiro sat down on a cushion and Ranmaru wasn't far away from him, nervous of the crowd. "Tyson don't be so rude to our guest. I'll start off by explaining what I've been hiding from you. During my time growing up I settled into a quiet little village for a while. I wanted to explore on my own so dad granted me permission. Turns out the village was hidden for a reason." "You needn't go into detail, Jin-san." "It's not like I'm handing them a map, Ranmaru. Relax." "Why is he so nervous? Defensive of this village you speak of?" "Because it's a ninja village. Upon arriving there I was quickly held prisoner. The village leader declared me harmless and I was released. Telling you this means I'm breaking my vow of secrecy but I'm sure our sensei will understand considering the situation. Tyson, shut your mouth before you swallow a fly." Tyson did as she was told, struggling to grasp the concept of ninjas really existing. "But aren't ninjas just a fairytale Hiro? You can't really be serious." "I'm afraid I am Tyson. After a few days I grew curious about the special training a few villagers spoke of. The elder respected my curiosity and offered to train me. Back then he was a swift old man and probably still is. He had one condition other than secrecy. I had to cut myself off from the family during my training."

Everything Hiro said took a while to sink in for most people. Kai just listened and memorized Hiro's words, keeping her eyes on Ranmaru as the boy shifted. She could've sworn his hair covered pointy ears. "Three to four years later my training was complete and I'd become a fully fledged ninja. To them I am known as Jin of the Gale. You might be wondering why Ray isn't so surprised by this news. I told her a long time ago what I was. Now you know the secret I've been keeping." "But why's he here?" Ranmaru took serious offense when Tyson pointed a finger at him. Hiro had no trouble holding the boy back. "Easy Ranmaru. My brother will take some getting used to." "Brother? But…" "I'll explain later. I still fail to understand why our sensei sent a fledgling." "You don't trust me?!" "I never said that. Normally for such a threatening task he'd send a veteran who knows the ebb and flow of the ways. You're but a boy." "So are you. You're just ranked." "That's enough Ranmaru. Tyson if you wish to live you'll put your hand down this instant!" A flash of anger flickered in Hiro's eyes and Tyson bolted at it. Her brother could be really scary sometimes, "Now. Ranmaru is here because my sensei caught wind of our trouble. He's here to help. Rest assured he'll not harm anyone unless they push their luck. Much like you did Tyson. I might not always be around to stop Ranmaru launching into an attack. Ninja take pride in what they do and not all of them walk the path of an assassin. Ranmaru and I are two that walk the lighter path. Though if someone caused any of you serious harm I will smite them where they stand without regret. We do not feel remorse. I failed to protect you once I'll not let my guard slip again." "I think you're scaring them Jin-san." "Good. Hopefully things will sink in better that way. If you'll excuse me I have a letter to write. Ranmaru I trust you'll behave." "I'll try my best to endure them." "You'll leave here alive I promise." Hiro gave Tyson and Daichi a warning glare before he left the room. A sudden burst of light came pouring in when a door was opened. Natsu stepped inside but she froze solid upon seeing Ranmaru in the room, her eyes wavering from shocked to happy. Ranmaru was just as shocked to see her. "Natsu? Is it really?"

Ranmaru moved so fast only Ray and Kai could follow his path and it led to Natsu. In the blink of an eye Natsu had Ranmaru in her arms as tears fell thick and fast down her cheeks leaving all onlookers confused. Ranmaru's eyes were squeezed shut to stop his own tears from falling. His body trembled in Natsu's hold as she tried to calm him, stroking his hair softly. "It really is you big sis." "I thought you were dead. I was told nobody survived the attack thirteen years ago." "I'd gone to see uncle Raiga before it happened. I returned home to find mother and father gone. The rest of the family with them. Elder Kinaki blames you for the destruction. Why sis? Why'd he pin the blame on you?" "Did mother not tell you I was with child eighteen years ago?" "No. But what has that got to do with the extermination of our clan?" "In a way I was responsible, Ranmaru. You see, after leaving home I journeyed to a harsh country and met the wrong family. My husband had not informed his father of our marriage or the birth of his first and only grandson. I regret to say it was my father in law who slaughtered our family. To stop Sumaru and me from escaping." Ranmaru didn't want to believe Natsu's words as each one stung like an angry bee. His skin prickled and Goosebumps formed. The hairs on the back of Ranmaru's neck stood on end as he imagined what it must've looked like. Kai also felt guilty. Natsu's family had been killed because she was born. Her departure from the room didn't go unnoticed. Ray followed after, knowing what Kai was probably feeling. "I'm sorry Ranmaru but it's the truth. I didn't know anything about the Hiwatari family until the day I lost everything. Voltaire was a vile man. He despises our kind greatly. Guilt haunts me because I was unable to protect our family. I can never go home. I was banished the day of the attack." "That's not fair!" "But it's just. I cannot argue with the elders. I have no proof that I wasn't related to the massacre. Not long after Voltaire slew our family, he had his own son shot and then came after me and my son. I escaped but he did not. Another family suffered because of me. I had hoped that Kai would be safe with them. It wasn't to be. Not long after I left Kai with the family he was taken away with a boy he now sees as his big brother. They suffered long years of torture because I was weak."

The pain Natsu felt inside was overpowering and soon she collapsed to the floor, taking Ranmaru with her. Thirteen years was a long time to bottle up the pain she bore. Now it was Ranmaru's turn to comfort Natsu. Being one of the only family members she had left he couldn't bring himself to be angry. "It's not your fault Natsu. You're not weak. I know you're not. Remember when I fell and hurt my knee? I screamed the damn house apart until you came and comforted me. It was you who taught me to be tough. So don't go telling me you're weak. Uncle Raiga doesn't blame you and neither do I. The elders can go and rot in hell for all I care. You are all I have left in this world. I'm not going to lose you again just because they believe you should suffer a life of loneliness." "I'm lucky to have a little brother like you. Where's Kai?" "I think he went to the kitchen. Ray's with him but I think you should go and check he's okay. Kai's likely blaming himself for being born." Natsu didn't hesitate. She hurried to the kitchen to find Kai was on the floor in tears. Ray could do little to comfort her. It was apparent they'd had a brief argument. "Natsu I'm glad you're here. Kai won't listen to me. I tried to tell him it wasn't his fault your clan was slain." "Thank you Ray. You did what you could. I'll take over from here. Ranmaru will need a glass of water or something just to calm him down. And you should probably explain why you're all…female." "I'll do that. So long as he's calm and doesn't bite I won't have to use the Tiger Claw on him." Natsu found it hard not to chuckle. Her brother was rather spontaneous at times. Kai's crying slowly eased as Natsu held her tight and began singing a lullaby she remembered from years ago. Ray and Ranmaru's keen ears picked up Natsu's singing and the song brought back memories. "I haven't heard that song for so many years I almost forgot it existed." "What's it about?" "It's an old lullaby from our village. I guess the White Tigers used it too. I can't really remember the tale about it though. I'd have to do some research or go home. But if the elders disown Natsu, they do so to me and our uncle too. We'll never abandon her." Ranmaru found himself falling asleep so Ray covered him with a warm blanket.

Natsu miraculously managed to calm Kai down, tucking her into bed once she was asleep. Ranmaru slept without a care, his glass of water untouched. Natsu guessed the lullaby had settled him down. "It's only supposed to work on children. Yet Kai and Ranmaru are still susceptible to Natsu Hiboushi." "Well it is a comfort they kinda needed Natsu. You have a beautiful singing voice." "Thank you Hilary. I thought you'd be at college?" "Day off. I only go on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Half days on Thursdays." "Might I ask what you study?" "Psychology. I have renewed determination due to Kai's brothers needing it. Tala mainly. He's suffering so much it feels wrong to watch it happen." "That's just what BIOVOLT does. It makes the lives it touches miserable. Even if the contact is indirect. I can't tell if Kai is with child just yet. I know what to look for even after all these years." Natsu sat herself down on a cushion by Ranmaru and stroked his hair softly. Just like Natsu, he was devilishly adorable with his eyes closed. He soon became distressed, probably due to something that had happened in the past. To soothe Ranmaru's discomfort Natsu placed his head on her lap. She also began singing again and it seemed to work. Nobody could guess what had upset him. Ray didn't know why but she couldn't take her eyes away from Ranmaru. Natsu guessed she was just curious. "He's twenty one." "Huh. I never asked." "But you're curious. Good looks run in the family. He doesn't know the extent of Boris's evil. And I'd rather he didn't." "Do you think he'll get on with Kai? They both have quite a temper." "We get that from our mother. You wouldn't mess with her believe me. She'd be sweet one minute then violent the next." "What about your dad?" "He was docile and kind. Our uncle is his brother. I should check on Kai and see if he's okay. Ranmaru won't be awake for a while yet." "Alright. We'll call if he does. No doubt he'll want you." Natsu's footsteps were so silent you'd never believe she was walking. Ray had her suspicions that Natsu was also trained in the ninja ways. She kept quiet and went to start making supper. Darkness was starting to creep in so no doubt Ranmaru would wake up and take on guard duty. They didn't notice Ranmaru had brought a bag until Natsu set it down at his side.

Days slowly shifted by one after the other. With working five days a week, the Blitzkrieg Boys were hardly seen at all anymore. Bruce had been reassured that they were still trying to find a cure for the team after hours. The stalker still showed no signs of returning and it made everyone worry. Eventually two months had passed and the suspicion of Kai being pregnant was confirmed and she blew the roof off of the dojo in anger. Surprisingly seeing Kai blow her lid made Ranmaru hide up the nearest tree. Kai's temper apparently reminded him of his mothers' and Natsu's temper. As you can imagine Spencer was even more livid than before, the other three as well. Summer was sneaking in and the girls would all need cooler clothes so Hilary and Natsu went shopping. Over the weeks Ray slowly fell for Ranmaru, keeping her feelings hidden from him. Not all ninja were happy with settling down, preferring to live alone. Seeing Brian so little, Ray barely remembered he even existed. From what the gang knew, Spencer and Syldra were steps away from a relationship as were Brian and Melody. Tala hardly left his bedroom and Ian spent a lot of time with Abby, mostly playing games. Hilary's psychology course would soon whisk her away to university but there was one nearby so she wouldn't be too far from everything dear and familiar. Bruce was also developing feelings for a certain someone but wasn't sure if she felt the same about him. His search for Sophie had all but hit a dead end. Hiro and Max's relationship was still unknown to everyone who wasn't Ray. There was still no word from Boris so him being connected to the kidnapping of Kai was almost ruled out. Kai's mood swings had taken a harsh turn now she was with child. It was difficult keeping her under control. Especially since Spencer never visited to see her. All in all Kai was going downhill compared to the others. Ray wasn't the only one attracted to Ranmaru however. Passing girls often noticed him training in the front yard without much in the way of clothes on his body so if Ray wanted him, she'd have to move fast. Even Kenny was picking up an interest in the young ninja. Tyson was too busy driving Hilary crazy to notice Ranmaru's presence most days.

One sunny Monday the girls were all sitting in the family room. Ranmaru was training outside and Hiro was at a meeting. Bruce had gone with him. Ranmaru was in charge of watching the girls but spent most of his attention on training. He blushed when a group of girls waved and giggled at him. They were attractive too. Ray decided she'd seen enough, seizing Ranmaru's waist in a tight hug that left him even more nervous. But he knew Ray's plan, accepting the sudden affection. The girls outside the gate stuck their noses into the air and walked off. "Thanks Ray. I owe you one." "No problem. Though I can't really say I blame them for being attracted to you." "What do you mean? Are you dropping hints or something? I hate to break it to ya but I'm not interested in starting a relationship with anyone right now." "That's okay. Those girls liked what they saw. You're strong, handsome and kind. It's not everyday a guy like you just happens to appear." Ranmaru's cheeks turned fluorescent red, leaving Ray to giggle as he vanished around the side of the dojo. 'He really is adorable. Maybe I'll ask Natsu how I can win him over. I lost one good man I'm not letting this chance slip away from me.' "I heard that Ray." "Natsu?!" "Relax I won't tell anyone. Come inside and we'll talk." "But how did you?" "It's a little trick I picked up from Dranzer." Ray followed Natsu inside after she'd landed gracefully from dropping out of the tree. She was still surprised that Natsu had read her thoughts. Natsu closed her bedroom door with a sigh, sitting beside Ray on the bed. "I knew it was only a matter of time before one of you fell for Ranmaru. You've got a lot of work to do Ray. In honesty I'm glad it's you I'm talking with and not the other two. I'm not blind to the attraction between Max and Hiro. Or deaf to it. But the last I heard Ranmaru was left wounded when his previous partner died. I'm not sure of the details. It's not a subject he's comfortable with. If anything I think he's frightened of falling in love again. Winning his heart is not easy. I watched several girls try as he grew up. Few succeeded." "So he's a man of refined tastes?" "Sorta. If Ranmaru is anything like our dad at all anymore he'll like relaxing things. Where he sleeps I don't know. So I wouldn't suggest buying him a painting." "Men really are hard to buy for. I should know. I was one."

"And I was married to one of the hardest men to please. Trust me I know." Little that the duo knew, Ranmaru was listening outside the door. He'd been heading to the bathroom since the downstairs one was occupied. He knew that Ray wasn't going to give in easily. 'I don't think I'm ready just yet. Even now she haunts me. That's why I don't like being in dark places. Ray's a good woman and I don't want to hurt her. I'm aware that she was a man before we met and there's a chance she could turn back. Falling for her would be pointless. But still, uncle Raiga always told me to live for the moment since I lost Karin. Even now I'm dangerous. Taking her life wasn't something I wanted to do but even now she won't forgive me. No matter how I try to seek redemption.' Ranmaru heard a movement from inside so he swiftly moved to his destination mere seconds before Natsu poked her head out into the corridor. "Is something wrong Natsu?" "No Ray. I just thought I could feel somebody outside the door that's all." "Oh okay. If there's a certain type of food he likes I could try that." "I'll give you a recipe our mother used to do. He won't of had it for years. It's taken him this long to find me. Just nothing too spicy and you'll be perfectly fine. Like me, Ranmaru has a big sweet tooth." "Another thing that runs in the family?" "I guess Kai inherited it too seeing as you clicked on quite quickly." "Yeah. Well it's almost dinner time and the men of the house will be back soon. Why don't we team up today? I could use the company and I'm guessing Ranmaru can't cook to save his life." "He can cook a little. For all we know he could be a five-star chef by now." Ray and Natsu laughed as they headed downstairs. Ranmaru had apparently been by judging by the confused faces in the family room. Not long after Ray and Natsu made a start on dinner, a truck pulled up outside. It wasn't a vehicle Ranmaru recognised so he took a defensive stance, sword pointing dangerously at the gate. His muscles tensed when the Blitzkrieg Boys turned the corner. Ian shrieked in fright, not expecting to be greeted by an angry swordsman. "State your business or leave." "Well this is new. Relax pal we're here to see the girls."

Ranmaru wasn't convinced so when Spencer put one foot forward he swung at him. Bruce and Hiro arrived just in time to stop Ranmaru doing something he'd regret. Bruce steered the Blitzkrieg Boys around Ranmaru whilst Hiro tried to calm him but his eyes stayed glued to the four strange men. "It's alright Ranmaru. They're friends of ours. Though it is odd of them to stop by. Put that away before you hurt somebody." "I don't trust them. Their auras are…dark. Dangerous even." "That's because they've been abused at a young age. They're only dangerous to those who threaten Kai. And us." "Very well but don't expect me to be all sweet and cuddly." Hiro rolled his eyes as Ranmaru perched himself on the roof. He would have to explain about the pointy greeting. It was no surprise to see the Russian men being swarmed. "This is a nice surprise fellas. How've you been?" Brian turned to Hiro, looking more than a little aggravated. "I know you're annoyed at how you were greeted but Ranmaru doesn't know who you guys are. And on top of that he doesn't trust you." "Well if he points that sword at us again it'll be vanishing down his throat. That's a promise Hiro. Who the hell is he?" "Natsu's little brother and our bodyguard." The news didn't seem to impress Spencer as he held Kai tight to his body for protection in case Ranmaru showed up. Ian was more terrified than angry. All the commotion reached Ray's ears so she left the kitchen to see what was going on, flinching in surprise when her eyes found Brian. He was apparently happy to see her, pulling Ray into a hug regardless of other people being present. "Okay you can let me go now Brian. What's this all about?" "What the fuck happened to your hair?!" Ray sighed heavily. She'd been waiting for that reaction for two months. "I wanted a change, Brian." "But it looked fine the way it was." Brian clamped his jaws shut, knowing exactly how that sounded. "I know you didn't intend for it to sound that way Brian so you're forgiven." "I'm sorry. I just. I guess I just missed you." "Same here. We thought we'd done something to upset you guys." "That's not true. We're just so busy with work. Having a job is harder than we all thought. It's demanding both physically and mentally." "Sit down I'll get you all a drink. And Ranmaru needs to relax."

After dinner almost everyone sat talking. Ranmaru kept his distance from the crowd, feeling trapped with no escape. Most of all he was concerned about the new company. Kai could feel Ranmaru's unease, finding her uncle on the back porch. "Are you feeling okay?" "Kai? I just needed some air. I'm not used to big crowds." Ranmaru quickly stopped Kai when she tried to sit down beside him, leading the soon to be mother to a bench outside. "There it's easier for you to reach." "I often forget about this bastard I'm carrying. Mom says I could go for an abortion soon." "You don't want it?" "No. I guess mom didn't tell you I'd been kidnapped and sexually assaulted four months ago." "It must've slipped her mind. In that case I'm not going to stop you Kai. I'd feel the same way if it happened to me." A soft sigh escaped Kai's lips as she looked around the garden. The flowers were in full bloom now summer had arrived. The various scents soothed her worries and Ranmaru's unease. "They won't hurt us, Ranmaru. I grew up with them." "I'm sorry Kai. I'm probably just afraid of losing what's left of my family now I've found it. You seem close to the giant." "Spencer's like a big brother to me. We met shortly before BIOVOLT took us. It was his family that mom left me with." "I see. You must be very close. I'll try to get along with them but I'm not making any promises. When you're trained the way I was, you learn to trust nobody but yourself and the people you trained with. I'm sure it's the same for you too. Being trapped in a dark place with only your friends to rely on. It must've been frightening." "Yes it was. But I'd sooner forget it all happened. Being around others taught me that my teachers were wrong." "Kai, forgive me if I'm out of line asking this but. When Ray see's something she wants, how long does it take her to lose interest?" "That depends. If it's a handsome man she'll wait for as long as it takes for him to accept her. I've noticed that she often watches you. If you want my advice, don't fight. You'll never win. Ray already lost Brian she'll not lose to another woman again. Bear in mind dear uncle. If you break her heart I'll break your neck in return. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes Kai. Very clear." "Good." Ranmaru relaxed when Kai went back inside.

Over the next few days the Blitzkrieg Boys visited the dojo. They apparently had a week off work. Ranmaru was slowly getting used to them but he never engaged in conversation. The stalker had returned and he was looking for revenge. He often watched the dojo during the day under cover of the shadows. His attention was almost always drawn to Natsu. She looked familiar to him somehow. On Friday Ranmaru suddenly caught on that the stalker had upped his hours, crouching on the roof with a warning glare in his eyes. Amethyst met grey and they were locked for a while. Natsu shifted nervously, feeling the tension outside. This behaviour was new to the gang and so they were very concerned. Kai soon began to feel the same but she wasn't so fidgety, launching Dranzer into the bushes outside the back entrance of the building. Ranmaru's eyes followed the fleeing figure until it was out of sight. Kai called Dranzer back, praising her for a job well done. "You're my sister's son alright." "You expected less? I was getting tired of that creep watching mom daily so maybe now he'll back off." "How long have you known?" "A couple of days. I didn't want to worry the others. They're petrified enough." "You do realise that Spencer will be furious at you." "Yes and I know how to dress him down." "Just don't scare him away with your flirting antics." Kai scoffed at Ranmaru's half hearted joke, returning to her seat beside Spencer. Luckily he was dead to the world so Kai almost got away scot free. Tala and Brian were hysterical about what Kai had just done. They calmed down when Ranmaru gave them his 'Don't start' face. He was very protective of Kai and Natsu. Everyone was confused when a letter came for Kai. Judging by the look on Kai's face she knew who it was from. "What's the matter Kai? Who is it from?" "It's Boris." "What?!" Spencer almost jumped out of his seat at the outburst, looking around to see displeased faces. "Hey what's the big deal? A big guy like me needs his beauty sleep these days. Kai? Are you okay?" In response Kai handed Spencer the letter. She was still in shock of reading its contents. "What does it say Spencer?" "He was behind Kai being kidnapped. I suspected as much when Kenshiro knew exactly how to piss me off. Furthermore, Boris has threatened to harm us or worse if Kai aborts the child he's carrying. I'm not ready to call his bluff. Boris WOULD try to kill us."

The news shocked everyone into silence. Many faces held anger, Ranmaru's especially. People like Boris really made him mad. Ian calmed down to place a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Don't listen to him Kai." "But if I don't he'll…" "Hey. Are you forgetting who we are? Sure they broke us once. But they'll never do it again. We're stronger now. We can look after ourselves. What happens if Kai keeps the child? And it turns out to be a boy?" "Kai is to hand the child over with Dranzer or die. If Kai should bring a little girl into this world Boris will…he'll…" Ian gulped, stopping Spencer in his tracks. "Once a sexist pig, always a sexist pig." By now Spencer was like a time bomb, bound to explode at any minute. All it took was one little nudge and that would be it. "Does the letter say anything else Spencer?" "No that's it. Wherever this letter came from, it means Boris is somehow watching us. He's got eyes around here and I'm willing to wager it's that damn stalker. If I get my hands on him he'll wish he'd never been born. Mess with one of us, you mess with all of us." To calm the atmosphere, Ray vanished into the kitchen to make some drinks. To her surprise Ranmaru tagged along. "Ranmaru?" "I'm not gonna bite. After all I still owe you for scaring those girls off. They haven't been back since." "I just didn't want you to feel insecure. That's the last thing you need right now. Especially with all these little things that keep cropping up." "You're angry. I can tell." "No I'm not." "Yes you are Ray. Sooner or later you'll hurt somebody if it isn't dealt with." "I'm fine Ranmaru. You can either help or leave me in peace. I really need to be alone right now." "If you insist. If you ever need help letting your anger out, just ask. I want to help you." "Just go before I do get mad. Then you'll regret standing there." Ranmaru wasn't willing to tempt fate, returning to inform the others she was not to be messed with. Ray on the other hand was busy trying to stop the feelings she had for Brian coming back. He wanted something; that much she knew. But Brian was out of her reach now. Of that Ray was very certain. And when he appeared at the door, she almost shattered.

Brian had noticed something different about Ray. Other than her new hairstyle. She seemed to be avoiding him whenever possible. And not to mention her eyes lit up when Ranmaru was near. Brian just wasn't sure whether to ask if he'd done something wrong. "Hey can we talk a sec?" "Depends on the subject Brian. I'm not in a talking mood right now." "Have I done something wrong to make you avoid being near me? What happened to that friendship we had?" Ray wasn't sure how to answer. In a way Brian had done something. He'd broken her heart. But Ray didn't want to tell Brian that. "No Brian. Like I said the other day. We thought we'd done something to hurt you guys since you never called or visited. And on top of that I didn't want to come between you and Melody." "Ray I already told you not to worry about that. There's nothing between me and her. And there probably never will be. We had a fight two months ago and now Melody refuses to even look at me. It's about that night isn't it? When you asked me how I felt about you. If it hurt you I'm sorry. I never wanted to upset you Ray. You of all people." "Save it Brian. I'll be honest. Falling for you had been the last thing on my mind back then. When it happened I was frightened of what you'd say if I asked you in person." Now knowing that Ray had once harboured feelings for him made Brian feel bad so he pulled her into his arms but she struggled to get free. Not wanting Ray to get hurt, Brian relinquished his hold and left the room. Nothing seemed to go right for either of them. Spencer knew better than to ask Brian what had happened when he saw the look on the falcons' face. Even Ian knew not to poke fun at Brian with his current mood. "Okay this is awkward." Typically it was Tyson to break the silence. Spencer warned her not to do anything rash with a stern glare. "Oh c'mon Spence. It's not like Brian's gonna kill me." "You'd be surprised. He's not in his best mood right now Tyson so shut it or one of us will hurt you." "You guys are no fun. Besides, I owe Ray for sneaking super hot spices into my food the other night. I will have revenge." "Tyson that's not a good idea right now." Before Ranmaru could even try to stop Tyson she was thrown out of the kitchen with some nasty scratches on her arm. She was in shock more than pain.

Ranmaru guessed Ray had finally snapped, dragging the tiger outside to let off some steam. Ranmaru expected Ray to be aggressive so when she went to punch him he intercepted it and pinned Ray to the floor. "What did I tell you about keeping your anger in check?" "Get off of me Ranmaru!" "Not until you calm down. What'd Tyson do for you to attack her?" "I don't see how that concerns you." "Don't push me! Tyson obviously hit a raw nerve now come clean! I'm not only here to keep you guys safe I've been tasked with keeping you together as a family. If you guys started fighting it would wound Kai deeply. He depends on you guys. Now more than ever. I don't want to hurt you. Any of you." There was a look of hurt in Ranmaru's eyes that bore into Ray's soul, her body relaxing under his. "I'll tell you on one little condition." "Name it. What's your price Ray?" "If I tell you what Tyson did to make me really angry, I want you to kiss me." "I beg your pardon? You're in no position to request that from me." "Then I won't tell you." "This is childish." 'It's like being bullied by Natsu all over again.' "Alright fine. But don't go expecting anything to come of it." "Tyson hit my sore spot." Ranmaru blinked as Ray held the stated area of her ribs. She seemed to be in pain and the weight of Ranmaru's body wasn't helping it go away. As per the agreement, Ranmaru now had to kiss Ray. Since she hadn't declared a specific area Ray received a kiss on the cheek. Sadly that wasn't what Ray wanted. "Not there. Here." Ray placed a finger to Ranmaru's lips and he immediately tried to wriggle free but Ray's legs were wrapped tight around him as were her arms. "You're not going anywhere Ranmaru. Just be a good boy and do as you're told." 'This is why I don't want a girlfriend.' It seemed like years had gone by when Ranmaru's lips eventually met with Ray's. At first nothing happened and Ranmaru would've pulled back if Ray didn't seize the opportunity to try and woo him. Ray had a firm grip on Ranmaru's head so he had no chance of getting away. His only option was to give in and kiss back. Ray couldn't of been happier when the kiss was deepened by Ranmaru's surrender but it didn't last long. Ian had been watching and caught the event on camera. "Ian you are so dead! Get back here!" "SHIT!"

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Poor Ian. Now, hands up if you expected the twist that happened. I'll be honest, I have more permanent pairings in mind and I've hinted at a couple. Chapter 8 is coming next so more of the plot will take form,


	8. Blooming Love

Another pairing might be unveiled here. Can't remember. I don't really care to read the chapter and find out either. You'll find it eventually anyway. I know these ANs are getting short but my fingers are stiff from cold and I have NO heating and I also can't really be bothered to write much.

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8

Watching Ray chase Ian around the place really made Ranmaru worry about what he would be getting himself into if he gave in. Ian was soon unconscious and heartlessly dropped on Tala's lap. On her way back to the kitchen Ray bumped right into Ranmaru, seizing his lips for the second time. She was pleased when he didn't fight against her though Ray could feel uncertainty in his response. The kitchen door was closed and locked so nobody could interrupt. Ranmaru tried to break free when one of Ray's hands vanished under his shirt. "That's enough Ray. I can't. I'm not ready to." "You don't have to be afraid anymore." "You're not the one being haunted by a dead lover. I'll tell you why I'm not ready, Ray. It was me. I took the life of the only girl I ever truly loved. It was an accident." "Ranmaru I. I'm sorry. I didn't know." Ray's apology did little to soothe Ranmaru and he pushed her away when she tried to embrace him. "Karin didn't deserve me. She could've chosen somebody else. We'd had a fight that night so to cool off I went on patrol of the village. We were having issues with a neighbouring clan so when somebody approached me from behind I thought it was the enemy and drew my sword, plunging it into the person at my back." "You don't have to continue." Ranmaru wasn't listening. He was too busy reliving the night his life changed. Images of Karin's paling face darted across Ranmaru's eyes. "Seeing Karin speared by my sword I panicked. There was nothing our healers could do. She'd already lost a lot of blood. In order to protect me my uncle told the villagers it was the enemy who had taken Karin's life. After that night she's haunted my every dream. Every step I take in dark places brings me closer to her spirit that seeks vengeance. Only my death can soothe her now. This was four years ago. I hadn't even finished training. It's why the women back in the village avoid me. And the very reason I don't want fall in love again." "It's not your fault. Karin is probably just lost, bound to this world because she never got to apologise." "You don't understand Ray. I'm dangerous. The training fucked something up in my head. I can barely get any sleep at night because of it." "Then let me help you. Nobody should have to suffer so much pain. Stay with me the night. I'm sure Hiro will understand."

The dark of night settled in soon after Ray learned the truth about Ranmaru's deceased partner. Hiro agreed that Ranmaru should take the night off. Tala was guarding the halls in Ranmaru's place. His computer like brain allowed him to go weeks without sleep if needed. Ranmaru stared at the ceiling as he lay beside Ray whilst she slept peacefully. He wondered if Ray was right. Karin had probably been about to apologise to him the night he killed her. And perhaps settling down would help ease her spirit into eternal rest. He didn't dwell on the subject, looking down at Ray. She was dead to the world, a peaceful look on her face. 'You don't deserve me Ray. You're better off finding somebody else to love. It's evident you had feelings for that Brian fellow. Perhaps you should relight that fire and chase him instead of me. I'll only cause you pain.' Ray shuffled with a groan as Ranmaru's fingers brushed over her cheek gently, mumbling his name quietly. She wriggled closer to him, slipping an arm over his stomach. Seeing Ray sleeping so silently reminded Ranmaru of the many nights he'd spent with Karin at his side. They were in love but had been forbidden to make it. It would be different now. There were few rules to hold Ranmaru down outside of the village. He could do whatever pleased him. But hurting Ray was something Ranmaru feared. He froze solid when Ray's hand moved lower, knowing exactly where its destination was. But Ranmaru did nothing to stop Ray going further, her hand breaching the band of his jogging bottoms that served as suitable nightwear. His muscles tensed and relaxed in rhythm with Ray's hand. He could feel Ray's warm breath on his neck moving higher. A low bang interrupted the contact. But it wasn't a gunshot. Tyson had probably just fallen out of bed. Oddly Ranmaru felt disappointed when Ray didn't resume her previous actions, the intruding hand retreating from his loins. Not long after that Ranmaru fell soundly asleep beside Ray, rolling over to hold her close, breathing in the scent of her.

Grey clouds loomed threateningly the next morning. Hiro walked inside looking like a zombie, making a beeline for his bed. Tala felt fine, proceeding to wake those who had slept properly. Minutes later only Natsu's room remained. Tala felt strangely nervous as he knocked on the door. Opening it, Tala was startled to find Natsu wasn't inside the room. Warning bells were immediately rung in Tala's head. He checked all of Natsu's favourite places but she wasn't in any of them. 'How can this be possible?! That bastard must've climbed in through Natsu's window!' Bruce grew worried as Tala frantically paced in the front garden. "Tala what's going on?" "Natsu's gone missing. I checked her room and all places she could've gone around the dojo but she's completely vanished." "Okay calm down. Getting inside would've been fairly impossible with you on guard." "But I couldn't watch the windows. There was a bang last night but I thought nothing of it. You told me Tyson has a habit of falling out of bed." "Yeah she does. We'd best not alert Kai just yet. I'd rather he didn't panic." "I'll call Ian. He'll know what to do." Bruce left Tala in peace to call Ian, fearing that Natsu could've been kidnapped by the mystery stalker. Hiro wasn't happy to be woken but he knew by the look on Bruce's face that something was wrong. "Dad what's up?" "Natsu's missing." "Well it couldn't of been the stalker. I had my eyes on him all night. And there's little chance of him having a partner. Has anybody tried the bathroom? Because I can't get in there." "Alright Hiro. You get some rest. I'll try the bathroom then if she's not there we'll put up a red alert." Hiro slunk back into his room whilst Bruce headed to the bathroom door. He could hear the shower running. And Bruce knew by now that Natsu liked taking long showers. Finding the door locked, Bruce knocked. "Natsu are you in there?" No verbal reply came but the shower stopped and the lock turned. Unfortunately it wasn't Natsu in the bathroom. It was Ranmaru. "Oh sorry Ranmaru. I didn't mean to interrupt." "It's fine. I was just finishing anyway. What's up?" "Natsu's vanished. We can't find her. Hiro's ruled out the stalker since he was watching him all night. And this guy prefers to work alone. Too many people would raise more suspicion."

The signs weren't looking good. Not even Ranmaru could give any clues of where Natsu could be. There was only one other explanation for her disappearance. Meanwhile in an abandoned warehouse the stalker was polishing his gun. He looked tired. But then staring at Hiro all night would do that to someone. His eyes weren't the nicest when angry. The man looked at his watch. 9:30am it read. With a sigh he moved to a door at the east side of the building and unlocked it. Stepping into the next room his eyes rested on somebody sleeping under a blanket. It would be a while before they woke up. Moving back into the main warehouse, the man removed the material covering the lower half of his face and breathed in the musty air. He had a strong chin that had recently been shaven. With nothing better to do the giant of a man sat down and picked up a book of crosswords with a pen. Time seemed unwilling to move but its reluctance did nothing to stop it proceeding. Natsu started to wake up, her vision blurry. The area around her was bright and dusty. Looking around Natsu noticed she was covered by a thick blanket to block out the cold. 'Where am I? What's going on?' With those thoughts in mind Natsu staggered to her feet and tiredly walked over to the nearest door. Natsu's arms refused to move so in order to get the attention of someone, she banged her head on the cold hard metal, regretting it immediately. Natsu dropped heavily to her knees, listening to the sound of a key turning a lock. The room was spinning so Natsu couldn't see clearly when somebody walked into her space. Strong arms supported Natsu, moving her into a lying position. The blanket was settled back over Natsu's shoulders and a makeshift pillow placed under her weary head. Being dazed dulled any feelings of fear Natsu could have. She was cold, hungry and thirsty. Not to mention really tired. "Who's there? Where am I?" The stranger did not answer. They merely looked down at Natsu as her eyes shone in the light. Her vision started to clear up but by then the mysterious stranger was walking away. They stopped at the door to look back at Natsu when she rolled over onto her stomach to look at them. Natsu wanted to believe she was seeing things when her eyes rested on the mans' face. "Sumaru? Is it really you?" The man left without a word, locking the door behind him.

Natsu slept for a few hours, waking up close to midday. Her empty stomach growled angrily, wanting to be filled. There was a small bag beside Natsu with a note telling her to eat and that she'd feel better. Inside the bag was a pasty of some kind. It was still warm so Natsu guessed the food hadn't long been purchased. As Natsu ate, she wondered if what happened earlier had just been a dream. That possibility faded when Natsu's captor returned just as she finished eating. He didn't even react when Natsu threw her arms around him, tears falling down her dusty cheeks. "It really is you. For thirteen years I believed you to be dead, Sumaru. But here you are right in front of me. Why are you dressed like this Sumaru?" The man Natsu labelled as Sumaru showed little in the way of understanding anything she'd said. He didn't even flinch when she touched his cheek. "What happened to you? The Sumaru I know wouldn't side with Boris. He just wouldn't. He'd rather die. You can't be the man I married over twenty years ago." Two silver tears fell to the floor. They were quickly followed by more and Natsu didn't care to try and stop them. Natsu's fists were clenched tightly, so tight her knuckles turned pristine white. Seeing Natsu cry seemed to trigger a reaction from the soldier as he pulled her close. But he still didn't utter a word. Natsu calmed down with each stroke of her hair, sniffling back new sobs that tried to break free. "Does he know? Is Boris aware that I'm alive?" "No." Natsu looked up hoping to meet Sumaru's eyes but he was staring blankly at a wall. To her his voice sounded different. She was sure that Boris had done something to corrupt Sumaru's memory. "He believes you are dead. It is strange." "What is strange?" "You are…familiar to me. But I have never met you before." "Then why am I here Sumaru? Tell me what my purpose is." In response to Natsu's demand Sumaru revealed the scar on his shoulder. She gently ran a finger around the scar, being careful not to cause Sumaru any pain. "So Boris didn't shoot to kill." "I remember not how this scar happened. When I start to see things, he banishes them. Something happened to me. I believe you can help me remember. You know my name." "Because I'm your wife. We had a son." "A son? Wife?"

Natsu felt like she was talking to a robot. Sumaru didn't abbreviate words like normal people would. Almost as if Boris controlled every little thing he did. "Yes Sumaru. Why do you want to remember?" "I do not know. He will come soon." "You mean Boris? He comes here?" "To maintain me. I cannot explain. I am sorry. Rest now." "How long will I have to wait to see you again?" Sumaru turned at the door, meeting Natsu's eyes for the first time. The lack of life in Sumaru's grey pits saddened her. "Not long. I will not harm you so long as you do not try to leave. You are safe here. My wife." The door closed with a rusty click and the lock turned. Natsu sat on the floor where she had slept. What was the point in her helping Sumaru to remember who he was if Boris was just going to erase all their hard work? But she was happy knowing Sumaru had not been killed. Natsu made a silent vow to do everything in her power to help him remember. Feeling through her pockets, Natsu found her phone was not present. Escaping was feeble. Sumaru would just kidnap her again and again until he got his wish. The memory that had been stolen from him. Twenty minutes later Natsu could hear talking in the room next to hers. Carefully pressing an ear to the cold metal, Natsu got a better listen. She picked out Boris's voice easily. "How are you feeling today Sumaru?" "I feel fine sir." "Good. Did the girl receive my letter?" "Yes sir. It reached her a few days ago." "Very well done Sumaru. I'll be back tomorrow with your vaccine. Be a good little soldier and relax a while. Do as you please but don't attract too much attention to yourself. You've earned the rest." With that the conversation ended and a set of footsteps informed Natsu that Boris was leaving the building. She moved back when a heavier pair of feet made their way to her door. With a gut wrenching screech the lock turned and Sumaru stepped into the room. He'd expected Boris to stay longer so him leaving early made Sumaru somewhat happy. It just didn't show on his face. "It is okay now. He has gone." "Will he be here early tomorrow?" "Very. Do not worry. It will be before you wake up. I must apologise if I do something to hurt you. The vaccine does…strange things to me." "Vaccine? It must be so Boris can control you. I'm a tough woman Sumaru. That's why you married me."

At the dojo everyone was in a flying panic. Ranmaru had departed to see his uncle in the hidden village so Tala would be on guard duty a while longer. Somehow Kai had found out that Natsu was missing but instead of being angry, she was gravely upset. Spencer had been drafted in to calm her down. Ray was sad that Ranmaru had left. Wherever he went, her heart followed. Brian arrived with Ian with hopes of fixing his friendship with Ray. And with Ranmaru gone, she'd likely seek comfort that he could give her. Tala's dogs were introduced to the dojo after Bruce gave the permission to let them inside. Lania stuck beside Kai, sensing her sadness. Tala sat out in the back yard to have some quiet time, replaying everything he'd recorded in the night, trying to find where his patrol had gone array. No matter how many times Tala replayed the nights' events there was no weakness to be found. Hilary could see that Tala was bothered by something, moving towards him cautiously. "Hey what's up?" "It shouldn't of happened. Nothing gets past me." "Don't beat yourself up about it Tala. You did your best last night." Tala clenched his fists, eyes burning holes in the ground, metaphorically of course. "I could've done better." It was faint, but Hilary could hear regret in Tala's voice. She wanted to comfort him but wasn't sure how he'd take the sudden display of comfort. Tala froze on the spot when Hilary's arms wound around him. She thought correctly about Tala not being sure how to take the embrace. He sat still, blinking as if dazed. "We're not angry at you Tala. It wasn't your fault. For all we know Natsu could've snuck out by herself last night and has fallen asleep somewhere." Hilary cupped Tala's pale face in her hands and looked into his blue eyes. They sat there for a few minutes just staring at each other until Tala's hand started moving on its own. Its destination was Hilary's cheek and there it stayed. 'What's going on?! My body won't listen to me!' 'Tala looks petrified right now. This really isn't like him. But then it has been a while since his girlfriend walked away. Perhaps he just wants company but feels it'll burden the others. I can't deny that I've been growing fond of him. I possibly even have feelings for him. But would Tala run if I voiced them?'

Tala's heart almost gave up on beating when Hilary snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. Deep down he was frightened. Tala had been afraid ever since Lyuba left him. But somewhere in the dark recesses of Tala's heart there was a small glimmer of hope, feelings for the brunette girl beside him filling it with light. Just like Hilary, Tala was scared of speaking his feelings. In the end, Tala returned the hug Hilary had given him, resting his chin on her head. They'd both been wounded deeply and sought out comfort each day. For Hilary, being around friends was comforting. But Tala could never find it. His brothers always offered him their shoulders but he refused. "You're not a burden, Tala. So don't think that way. We're here to help you if you'll just let us in. I know it hurts and you're scared of being wounded again. We all fear something. Most of all, everyone has the right to fall in love. Even you and your brothers. Especially you." "I don't want to hurt you." "I know you don't. But stuff like that happens. It's part of life itself. Tala I'll understand if you're not ready for that kind of relationship. I just want to help you. I once felt strongly about a very good looking guy. We went out and at first everything was fine. Then he lost interest because some slut started wooing him behind my back. I feel drawn to you, Tala. You've got barriers that prevent happiness finding you. As I have too." "I'll never be happy. Nobody wants to love a monster like me." Hilary saddened when Tala turned his face away from her. She guessed the word monster referred to the cyborg half. But Tala had spoken ill of himself with such conviction something had happened to make him believe it was true. Hilary wasn't just going to sit around and let Tala put himself down, forcing him to look at her. "Listen to me Tala. You're not a monster. You are one of the nicest people I have ever met. So don't go calling yourself something that isn't true. If you don't like yourself then listen to what others think of you and believe in them. Do you want to be happy Tala?" "More than anything." "Then let us make you happy. We're a family Tala." A small smile settled on Tala's face as Hilary nuzzled her face into his chest. That alone made his mood brighten. He looked down at Hilary when she whispered something but not even his satellite hearing could pick up the words spoken.

Not much else happened after that. Tala started to feel better about himself thanks to Hilary. The hour was late and Natsu was waiting patiently for Sumaru to come back. He'd gone out to get her something to eat and drink. At about 8pm the lock in Natsu's door turned with a screech and the door opened. Sumaru stepped into the room still wearing his big outdoor coat. He found himself in Natsu's arms almost immediately. "I was worried you'd never come back." Sumaru wordlessly held out a paper bag for Natsu to take and she did so nervously. Being alone had scared her. But with Sumaru under the effects of a controlling drug he could not see Natsu's fear. "I am fine." He finally said, lifting a hand to Natsu's cold cheek. "I apologise for making you worry. Next time I shall…" Natsu silenced Sumaru by placing a finger to his dry lips, a smile on her face. "It's not your fault. I shouldn't be so worried. You're a grown man and can look after yourself." Sumaru wordlessly turned to leave but Natsu gripped his muscular arm tightly. "What is wrong?" "Stay with me. Please. I don't want to be alone." "But you must eat." "You don't have to go. I want…need you by my side. I've been alone for thirteen years, Sumaru. In your state you wouldn't understand. Being lonely for long periods of time can damage a person." Natsu was right. Sumaru didn't understand but he sat down next to the bed he'd made for her. "I shall stay if that is what you wish. I guess I want to remember my past because…I am lonely. There is a strange feeling in my chest when I see people smiling. It feels like…pain." Natsu settled herself beside Sumaru. She was sitting so close their arms were touching. The contact seemed to make Sumaru nervous as he shuffled away a few millimetres. He sat staring at the opposite wall as Natsu ate the food he'd bought for her. That was until she touched his good shoulder. "Aren't you hungry?" "I do not feel hunger. Only fatigue." "But you need to eat something." Confusion swirled in Sumaru's mind as Natsu held up the pasty she was eating. He knew what she wanted but didn't wish to comply. He even ignored the pleading look in Natsu's eyes that years ago he would've fallen for. "No." "Sumaru please." In a final act of defiance Sumaru turned his back on Natsu with folded arms. "You're being childish."

With the way things were going, Natsu wasn't sure she could help Sumaru get his memory back. Especially if what he was doing now would happen all the time. Once she finished eating Sumaru relaxed but he didn't turn around to face her. He looked back upon feeling a hand on his shoulder. "If I'm going to help you remember, this has got to stop. I can't just sit here knowing you haven't eaten all day. When was the last time you ate?" "I do not know. The vaccine gives me everything I need that does not involve closing my eyes." "Not quite. There's one thing it can't give you Sumaru. Do you know what it is?" "Negative." "It's love, Sumaru. You're still human. I don't care what Boris has told you. We need love to get us through the days. Tell me Sumaru. Do you know my name? Has anything come back to you since you brought me here?" Sumaru looked into Natsu's eyes to find a pleading look. He hadn't remembered anything at all. The drug was wearing off and Sumaru knew it because a vision flashed across his mind. But no sounds were made. "Sumaru?" "No. I am sorry. Sounds do not come with my visions. I see your face but never hear a name. If you told me, would it help?" "Maybe. Natsu is my name. Natsu Hiwatari." "Natsu. That is a…unusual name." "My mother named me after a star. You are too." "I am?" "Yes, Sumaru." Natsu studied Sumaru's face as he fell silent. It looked like he was remembering something. His mouth opened but he could not form the words he wanted to say. "What's wrong Sumaru? Did you remember something?" Sumaru nodded, looking down at his hands. "I saw him." "Who? Tell me who did you see Sumaru?" "Our son. In my arms. But he was not as small as I thought he would be." "That's because you sent me to stay with my family during the last few months of pregnancy. Kai was four months old when you met him. Did you see his eyes?" "Briefly." "Can you tell me what colour they were?" Natsu sat completely still when Sumaru met her eyes. Unable to speak loudly, he whispered in her ear. Tears formed in Natsu's eyes at hearing Sumaru saying that in his memory, Kai had his eyes. "Is that…wrong?" "No Sumaru. Kai does have your eyes. You're doing well. I would say the drug suppresses your memories."

Sumaru's heart leapt into his mouth when Natsu cuddled him, one of her hands moving to the belt that kept his trousers up. Natsu could feel Sumaru's heart racing as she slipped her hand into his trousers. 'Same old Sumaru. He still doesn't wear boxers or briefs. Just his trousers. I can't tell whether he's scared or excited.' "Stop." "Sumaru?" "I cannot." "Why can't you love me Sumaru?" "Because I will hurt you." "No you won't." Since the drug was losing effect, fear began showing in Sumaru's eyes. He wanted to hold Natsu but was afraid to hurt her. Natsu wasn't blind to the change in personality. But she figured the drug wouldn't wear off completely. "It's okay Sumaru. I told you earlier that I'm a strong woman. My body yearns for you to hold me close." "I do not know how." "Then let me remind you. I didn't just happen to fall pregnant. You contributed to his creation." Before Sumaru could say another word, Natsu kissed him. And he just sat there doing nothing to stop her. Sumaru was frozen in place. He snapped back into reality when his trousers were undone. "It's okay Sumaru. You don't have to be afraid." "What are you doing?" "I'm trying to give you affection. Don't be so shy. We've done this before." "But I do not remember." "You will in time." Natsu pressed her lips to Sumaru's once more, hoping that the excitement would cause a memory to surface. He responded a little, still not sure if giving in was the right thing to do. Whilst Sumaru was distracted by the kiss, Natsu unbuttoned her shirt. Once it was off she broke the kiss and Sumaru looked down not realising that Natsu wanted him to do so. He then found himself being stripped naked. Natsu was surprised to receive no resistance from Sumaru as she removed his shirt. His figure hadn't really changed in thirteen years. "You haven't changed a bit Sumaru." "I have not?" "No. These muscles are still firm. Just like I remember them. And he's still big." Sumaru flinched severely when Natsu gave his stiff penis a little squeeze. But it didn't hurt. He oddly enjoyed the feeling that occurred during the addition of pressure. "Was that nice Sumaru? It'll feel better once we are one." "I do not understand what you mean." Sumaru watched with eager eyes as Natsu moved over to some boxes. He couldn't help but find her to be very seductive. "Come here."

Sumaru obeyed without question. He was curious to see what Natsu meant. She was now stark naked, her skin pale against the dark colouration of the discarded crates. But it was darker compared to Sumaru's almost white flesh. Natsu pulled Sumaru close, embracing him with another kiss that he was happy to return. His fear was depleting quickly with every touch. Confusion took over Sumaru as Natsu pulled herself up onto his hips and stayed there. "You want me now don't you Sumaru?" In response Sumaru dipped his head down to softly kiss Natsu's lips. She didn't fight, allowing his eager tongue entrance. Natsu soon found herself sitting on a box whilst Sumaru got ready to go the last few steps of the way. He was nervous, she could see it clearly in his brightening grey eyes. The life was coming back to them little by little. Natsu clung to Sumaru's rugged frame as he slowly and gently pushed his hardened shaft into her tight enclosure. Being deprived of a willing man for thirteen years meant that she was very, very tight. Natsu whimpered into Sumaru's neck, her legs tightly clamped around his waist. Sumaru had his eyes closed, trying to make sense of the feeling welling up within him. He released a small grunt, holding Natsu close to his hard, compacted muscles. "S-Sumaru." "Are you okay?" "Yes. It just hurts a little. I'll be fine. I've gone thirteen years without this sort of contact so I forgot what it felt like. What are you feeling right now Sumaru? Desire? Happiness? Lust?" "I do not know but…" "Your body is demanding more? I know the feeling." "What do I do now?" "I hoped it would come back more naturally but I can't have everything." Sumaru watched closely as Natsu had a firm grip on his hips, pushing him back a little. She moaned a little louder upon bringing Sumaru closer to her. "Just like that. But be gentle until I say it's okay to go harder." "If that is what my wife wants then it is what she will get." "You can call me by name, Sumaru. I'll not be offended. Now let yourself go." Luckily the warehouse was in the middle of nowhere as Natsu's screams echoed for about a mile. Sumaru pounded her for hours until he reached his peak, thrusting deep into Natsu and she groaned loudly, hugging his neck.

Days went by slowly after Natsu had convinced Sumaru to have sex with her. Hilary was making slow progress with Tala but Brian hadn't gotten anywhere with Ray. The search for Natsu had been called off a week into her disappearance. Kai felt lonely without her if Spencer was at work. A month later at the Blitzkrieg Boys house, 8am on a Saturday morning everything was quiet. Brian had woken up close to 5am and couldn't go back to sleep. His heart kept pulling him in opposite directions. One half still liked Melody whilst the other tugged him towards Ray. He didn't know who to choose. Melody had forgiven him for the argument three months ago and now it was as if nothing had happened to begin with. The only difference was that she occasionally attempted to woo Brian. 'What do I do now? They're both good women but if I choose one, then the other will be wounded. Love triangles are such a bitch sometimes. Though now I'm not sure I like Melody that way. She's clearly in love with me. Maybe being apart for so long woke her up inside. I did love her but that argument ruined everything I felt for Melody. How can I be certain she won't start another fight? Perhaps talking to someone would help me. But I can't confide in Ray because she won't go near me. At least not willingly. Spencer's no good at that kinda thing and Ian is out of the question. He wouldn't know what love is even if it hit him in the face with an atomic bomb. I think I need female help. Wait a sec. Hilary's coming to visit Tala today. I could ask her.' Brian's thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sudden boom of music coming from Tala's room. Upstairs, Spencer had been sleeping rather happily until the music came on. He flew out of his sleep, landing heavily on his left arm. A sickening crack told Spencer it was now broken. He really hated his weight sometimes. Brian had heard the almighty thud of Spencer's landing, kneeling worriedly beside him. "Spencer what happened?" "One of these days I'm going to kill Tala for that. I think my arm is broken Brian." "Don't move I'll find some bandages. I never thought Tala would listen to the likes of Skillet." "Brian, bandages. Broken arm. Massive headache." Brian got downstairs just as there was a knock on the front door. He answered it to find Kai and Hilary outside. They knew something was wrong by the loud music.

Brian stepped aside without a word and continued on his journey to the kitchen. Kai headed upstairs only to find Spencer on the floor with a broken arm. "Spencer! What happened?" Spencer cringed at the pitch of Kai's voice. He tried to convince her he was fine but she wasn't having it. Kai removed her scarf and folded it to make a sling to support Spencer's arm. By the time Brian got back, Kai was weeping on Spencer, his good arm around her waist. He gave Brian a face that told him not to ask why Kai was crying. He'd know the answer anyway. "Like it or not I'm gonna have to go see the doctor about this." Brian nodded, knowing exactly who Spencer was talking about. "I'll get the truck ready. Try not to move until I get back." Kai's weeping eased not long after Brian went outside, mumbling Spencer's name so quietly you could barely hear her. Having heard a small sound, Spencer looked down, not expecting Kai to kiss him softly. He sat completely still, making no move to reject the younger Russian. Spencer fought back when he heard Brian coming upstairs with somebody. Kai obviously attempted to regain the contact but she had no such luck. She stopped moving when Syldra became visible at Brian's side. "Look alive bro you've got company." "Alright. You go and sit yourself downstairs." "Who is she?" Before a fight could spark Brian eased Kai down into the living room so Spencer and Syldra could have some privacy. "Sorry about that. Kai can be a little…possessive sometimes." "That's quite alright. What happened to your arm?" "That music is what happened. It came on so suddenly I fell out of bed and busted it with my own weight." "This means you'll need time off to recover." "Not really. I can still carry stuff." "Spencer I'm not having you in that warehouse with a broken arm. You'll hurt yourself further trying to heft things around. Besides, you deserve a holiday." "But Ms. Masamune…" "I can deal with Sophie. Please Spencer." Spencer sighed in defeat, locating something to put over his shoulders since he was only wearing a pair of bed shorts. Just as Spencer grabbed a loose jacket, Syldra set a hand on his shoulder. "What is it Syldra?" "I know this might seem sudden Spencer but. I…"

Spencer cocked his head to the side a little, confused at Syldra's nervousness. He remembered that Syldra had been getting rather friendly over recent weeks, wondering if she felt strongly for him. And Spencer's theory was approved when Syldra's lips made contact with his. Spencer was of course unsure about how to respond. And Kai would likely return any minute. Syldra had her eyes closed gently so she was either avoiding Spencer's eyes or enjoying herself. In the end Spencer chose to kiss back, winding his right arm around Syldra's slim waist. It wasn't long before Kai caught them in the act, a venomous growl reverberating from her throat. Brian appeared not too far away, bending over slightly. He'd apparently tried to stop Kai and paid the price. "Sorry Spence. I tried." "Don't worry about it Brian. Kai, you were told to sit down." "You didn't answer my question. Now I know why." "It's about time we had a talk. Syldra could you give us a moment please?" "Of course. Brian looks like he needs some nursing at the moment." "He'll live. We've suffered worse believe me." With Syldra out of sight both Kai and Spencer glared at each other. It was only a matter of time before Kai exploded so Spencer immediately tried to diffuse her temper. "There's a reason I never told you about Syldra, Kai. I was afraid this would happen. I'm aware you have feelings for me. But I can't return them." "Why not?!" "Because it would ruin the brotherhood we already have. I don't want to lose that bond we've shared for so long. You still want to turn back don't you?" "Stupid question. Of course I want my old body back." "Kai I've never felt that way about you. You're my brother and I'd rather it stayed that way. Syldra's a good woman. I'm sure you'll get along with her." "I don't want to." "Now you're just being selfish. Whether you like it or not Kai, I love Syldra. And she loves me in return. Someday I might ask her hand if things go smoothly. I'm sorry." Spencer studied Kai closely, waiting for some sort of violence. Instead, Kai chose to flee, fighting the tears that grew in her eyes. Brian knew immediately that the little talk hadn't gone in Spencer's favour. He sighed agitatedly and dragged Kai to the kitchen, leaving Syldra with Hilary. Not long after that Spencer came down the stairs. "Spencer what happened?"

"Syldra I haven't been entirely honest. It's time I came clean about the real reason me and my brothers moved here. Don't worry Hilary. Syldra won't tell anyone." Hilary silently left the room to see how Kai was doing with Brian. She seemed rather annoyed at the very least. Spencer sat down with a sigh of defeat. "Spencer?" "Syldra, please don't take what I'm about to tell you the wrong way. Kai hasn't always been female. Remember five months ago I said my little brother went missing." "Yeah. That was Kai?" "Hm. Years ago Kai and his team made an enemy out of Boris Balkov. You might remember he tried to take over beyblading a few years back." "Yes it caused quite an uproar. But he's in prison isn't he?" Spencer shook his head negatively in answer. "At the start of this year he attacked the five original members of the BladeBreakers to exact revenge. Old fantasies die hard because he wants the four sacred bitbeasts again." "So he turned Kai and his friends into girls? Why?" "Boris is a sexist pig. In his eyes girls are weak. But unfortunately for him he's wrong. Sadly however they're not just girls on the outside." A horrified look settled on Syldra's face and Spencer couldn't blame her for it. "Turns out Boris had Kai kidnapped and raped fiercely. I'm sure you've noticed Kai's bulk." "He's pregnant?" "Yeah. Five months gone by now. Kai received a letter last month from Boris telling him to hand the baby over to him with Dranzer if it's a boy. If Kai gives birth to a little girl, Boris will kill it." "That's horrible. And if Kai destroys it before birth?" Spencer swallowed thickly, unsure of how to tell Syldra his life would be threatened. "Boris knows how to twist Kai to do his bidding. Should the child be lost, he'll attack those close to Kai. Me included. Death is our penalty. Thus Kai's scared to destroy the bastard." Syldra hugged Spencer's good arm as he seemed to be getting angry with himself for not protecting Kai better. "It's not your fault Spencer. These things just happen. I'm guessing you came here to help change the girls back into boys?" "Yeah. But we're not getting anywhere with finding a cure. Now Kai's upset and angry because I told him I have no special feelings for him. It's possible he'll now avoid me. I feel so horrible about it too."

Kai did avoid Spencer. She fought violently when he tried to embrace her, calling him names that hurt more than the abuse they'd suffered. Whilst Brian took Kai home, Spencer vanished. Syldra went with him so she could find out how severe his injury was. Hilary remained at the house, venturing to Tala's room. She was surprised that Ian slept through the music penetrating the wall. Tala was lying on his bed in only a pair of pyjama bottoms, arms behind his head. He seemed absorbed in the lyrics of the song Comatose by Skillet. Tala's mind surfaced from the depths of thought when Hilary snuggled up to him. "Hey." "You're in big trouble when Spencer gets back." "Why's that?" "He has a broken arm thanks to your music Tala." "Guess I am in trouble. I heard yelling. Is everything alright?" "Kai's upset because Spencer doesn't love him the way he wants him to." "Rejection is hard for Kai to swallow. I'm sure you understand why." Hilary nodded, huddling closer to Tala's muscular torso. Being near to Hilary still felt weird to Tala. He sat up, pulling her along. She was happy to just cuddle him all day and he'd do nothing to prevent the affection. "So what are we doing today?" "I don't know Tala. It depends what you want to do. We could always go to the beach for a while." A warm smile stretched across Tala's face as he leant down to gently kiss Hilary's forehead. Brian came through the front door the same second Hilary left Tala's room. The music stopped so Brian guessed Hilary had motivated him to go out. "Hey Hilary can I talk to you for a sec? I find myself in a troublesome situation." "Sure. Is Kai alright?" "Considering he just suffered a crippling emotional blow I'd say so. The others are very supportive. And they won't kill Spencer." Whilst Tala got ready Hilary sat in the kitchen with Brian. His unease was clear now. Hilary could easily guess Ray was a part of the problem. She and Brian had been like oil and water the last month or so. "Brian would I be wrong in guessing you're torn between women?" "You're sharp, Hilary. But yes I'm torn. I've made up with Melody and now she seems dead set on getting with me. But I no longer feel that way about her. The argument ruined a possible relationship. And I'm afraid another will start if we did get together. My other love interest won't even go near me anymore."

The easy part was over and now Brian had to confess to one of Ray's closest friends that he was in love with the Neko-Jin. To stop Brian from hurting himself, Hilary sat him at the table away from all sharp objects. "I know, Brian. That you have feelings for Ray now she has her eyes on somebody else." "It's that obvious?" "To a girl, yes. The others have yet to learn about women's intuition. I'm not sure I can help you Brian. We can't always have what we want and that's just how life is. All I can say is give her time. If Ranmaru doesn't come back then try again. If he does return there's nothing you'll be able to do. I'm sorry Brian. We only ever have one chance to win the heart of the person we love." "You don't have to apologise Hilary. It's not your fault. Thanks for hearing me out." "That's what I'm here for. Perhaps you should accept Melody. For all we know Ray might just get jealous if she sees you together." "But it could also hurt her. I've wounded Ray enough." A stubborn sigh escaped Hilary's lips the very moment Tala walked into the kitchen ready to go. He wore tight white jeans that had a thick blue stripe down the side of the legs and a matching shirt that hung off of his shoulders a little. Tala even had identical leather gloves and trainers. It was no surprise to see Tala's denim jacket was also white with blue arms and a blue stripe on the back. "Well don't you look dandy? Get something to eat then we'll go." Brian chose not to look as Tala embraced Hilary, leaving the kitchen without a word of reason. Tala was curious about Brian's behaviour but Hilary prevented him from acting on it. "But…" "No Tala. I think Brian needs to be alone for a while. He's having an early mid life crisis. I understand you might want to help but there's nothing we can do for him now. Only Brian can help himself. I don't exactly like letting people suffer." "What's wrong with him?" "Torn between lovers. Mostly Ray. She doesn't know how much pain Brian's going through right now. I'll go wake Ian so get something to eat by the time I get back or else." Tala did as he was told. He'd learnt that Hilary wasn't a woman to be crossed at any one time. Ian also discovered that fact when he got water thrown on him for being too much like Tyson.

The air was cool and crisp outside, painting Hilary's cheeks a shade of pink as she strolled along the beach holding Tala's hand. Many couples had gathered there to enjoy the sun together. Tala was so quiet it was hard to know what he was thinking most of the time. At midday they stopped off at a nice little café for lunch. To Hilary's surprise the PPB All Starz were there and she panicked. Not only because she was with Tala but also due to the secret that her team now consisted of girls. Michael was the one to spot them first. "Well look what the cat dragged in. Never thought I'd see you pair holding hands." "I don't see how that's any of your business Michael." Hilary tried to pull Tala away from the arrogant jock but he wouldn't budge. Michael had apparently hit a raw nerve. "Come on Tala. Not in public. Let's go find a nice quiet table away from him." In the end Hilary had to push Tala with all her strength to the back of the café to stop him killing Michael. She'd seen his temper once and didn't fancy witnessing it again. After ordering they sat in silence. Tala seemed unwilling to do anything affectionate knowing Michael would jaunt and jeer at him. "Don't let him bother you Tala. He's just jealous. Now relax a little. We came out here to enjoy ourselves and I'm not going to let Michael ruin our day." Hilary worried when Tala stood from his seat beside her. "Hey where are you going?" "Bathroom. I'll try to ignore him but if he hurts you I will break his neck." Hilary had never been more worried as Tala walked away. She was so busy worrying that Michael managed to follow Tala without being noticed. In the men's room Tala stood looking at himself in the mirror, gloves resting on the sink along with his hands. He didn't even flinch when the door opened. At first Michael kept his distance, observing Tala's behaviour. "Can I help you with something dickhead?" "No not really. I'm just wondering what you're doing here in Japan." "That's none of your business. I have my reasons." "Sure you do. Just stay the hell away from Max you freak. We haven't heard from him in months." Alarm bells rang in Tala's head, privately alerting Ian that the dojo could have visitors very soon. It depended on how quickly Michael would grow bored of poking fun at him. With that done Tala did what he'd left Hilary's side to do until Michael pushed him up against a wall.

The look in Michael's eyes wasn't friendly and Tala tried to squirm free. Without even knowing it, Tala sent out a distress call through his struggle. "You're not going anywhere until we've had some fun Tala. I've been waiting to do this for a very long time." There was no warmth coming from the words Michael spoke, a fist curled ready to strike. Back at the house Brian and Ian weren't really doing anything. Ian had his laptop on to keep himself occupied. He and Brian flinched when an SOS came through from their captain. "What's going on Ian?" "Looks like Tala's in trouble at a café by the beach. He's probably not aware that he sent this message." "Wait a minute. The only reason Tala would know the All Starz are in town…is because they're at that café! Give me the address now! If we don't do something people are going to end up dead." Ian did as he was told, staying put as Brian stormed out the door. He wasn't comfortable being around the falcon master right now. Minutes later Brian pulled up outside the café. Even from the back Hilary could see the dark purple truck stopping. She was somewhat relieved to see Brian. "What are you doing here Brian? How'd you find us?" "There's no time Hilary. Where's Tala?" "He went to wash his hands but he's taking far too long. Wait a minute. Michael's missing." Realisation dawned on Hilary and she was clearly fearful. "Bingo. If Michael sets him off we're in trouble. I'll be gentle with him don't you worry." Unknown to Hilary, Brian had a gun under his shirt just in case. He arrived in time to save Tala from a beating. A feeling of security washed over the red headed captain when Brian came into view. "Oh my. Unexpected company. Not wanted company as a matter of fact." "Let him go Michael. You don't know what you're getting yourself into." "And what am I getting myself into? Enlighten me you psycho." Brian's fingers twitched. He promised himself he wouldn't use the gun unless pushed but Michael was already putting his patience to the test. A flicker of grey flashed in Tala's eyes and Brian knew the least violent stage was starting. "This is my last warning. Let Tala go before you get hurt. I'm not playing around you arrogant selfish bastard."

Sadly Michael wasn't listening to anything Brian said, tightening his hold on Tala's neck. Blue turned to deep grey and hands tightly gripped a wrist. Michael looked on in surprise seconds before he felt a painful crack in his wrist, releasing Tala immediately. Brian moved in to calm his captain before he could do anything else harmful. "The hell?! You really are a freak." "Michael, get lost. I'd rather not risk innocent people getting hurt because of your negligence." Tala's breathing eased to a regular pace, eyes reverting to their natural icy blue hue. He blinked a couple of times to confirm what he was seeing. "What…happened? Brian what are you doing here?" "Preventing you from going on a murderous rampage. Now wash up bud. Hilary's getting mighty worried about you. I'll see that Michael returns to his team safely. He won't dare try anything." The harsh glare in Brian's eyes warned the American to behave or receive more pain. The All Starz almost freaked when they saw Michael's wrist. Rick had no problem with Tala so he was the one to ask. "What happened?" "Your buddy here got on the wrong side of my captain. He's lucky to have gotten away so lightly. I suggest you keep a close eye on him from now on otherwise he could end up in a body bag. And this time you'd better heed my warning you prick. Next time you might not get so lucky." Every word Brian spoke to Michael dripped with venom leaving Rick even more baffled. "Don't ask, Rick. There's bad ground between us and the Blitzkrieg Boys." Eddy was calm and collected despite Michael returning with a broken wrist. "To be honest, I don't think they're evil unless you double cross them. Like Michael often does when he has the chance." "Really? That guy seemed rather…defensive. He's packing." "What?" "The dude is armed with a pistol. Having lived on the streets I can tell when somebody is armed." All eyes turned to Tala when he returned to Hilary's side. He looked better now. Brian made sure to 'accidentally' knock into Michael on his way out of the café. How he knew Tala was in trouble still intrigued them. "Either he's psychic or Tala somehow contacted him." Michael growled, rubbing the newly formed bump on his head. "Well it wasn't by phone. I would've noticed something like that. Damned freaks the lot of them." "Just shut up Michael. It's your own fault."

After another few hours Tala dropped Hilary off at home, expressing to her that he'd enjoyed himself, leaving out the incident concerning Michael so not to worry her. They kissed briefly before going their separate ways. Tala wasn't even half way home when somebody stopped him. The person was cloaked in shadow so Tala couldn't see their face. Before he could say anything the stranger handed him a note and walked away in silence. 'Who was that? What the?! Natsu is safe. Do not worry. He must be holding her captive. I don't know why but the guy felt familiar to me. I must be tripping. I'll drop this off at the dojo. Hopefully it'll put Kai's mind at ease.' Seeing no reason to inform Ian of his little journey, Tala made haste to the dojo. Much to his misfortune the All Starz were there and they didn't look happy to see him again. Well Michael didn't. The others were fine. "You again?" "Yeah me again. Is there a problem?" "I told you to stay the hell away from Max." "You'll find I'm welcome here so shut the fuck up before I break something other than your wrist. Where's Kai? I have a message for him." "He's upstairs. Where else do you expect?" Tala snorted a little and made his way upstairs. When he returned Michael tried to get under his skin again. "If you wish to live I would suggest you get out of my way." "I just want to know something. How the hell did Brian know you were in trouble?" Tala shrugged his shoulders in truth. He had no idea either. "Don't lie to me!" "I'm telling you the truth. All I remember is getting angry and then being calm again to find you had your wrist broken. Now if you'll excuse me my brothers are expecting me to be home soon and I'm already running late." Max stopped Michael from aggravating Tala further, allowing the tired Russian to go home. Once he was gone Michael was furious. "Let go of me Max!" "Leave him alone Michael. Tala's done nothing to deserve your hatred." "Have you forgotten whose side he was on?!" "No I haven't. Tala and the others have changed since then. They're leading normal lives now. Putting their past behind them. Just leave them be. They're here to help us get our bodies back. If we can get them back. But we have faith in them." Michael stormed off so Hiro dashed ahead to pick Tala up and take him home.

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I'll be fair, I don't see many Tala/Hilary pairings. Actually, I haven;t seen a single one. I'm also kinda enhancing the disliking between the All Starz and the Demolition Boys. I'm not sure but I think Ray's team will eventually accept what has happened. I'm thinking of a big pre-Xmas party later in the fic not long after Kai gives birth. I know I tend to skip time a lot but truth is I'd get bored of writing what they do every day. The story would never advance at that pace. Well anyway, chapter 9 on the way, probably by the time you get around to reading this. And hopefully I'll finish chapter 11 soon.


	9. The Ninja and the Kidnapper

Title is a twist on Bartender and the Thief by Stereophonics (I think that was the band. If not it was Simply Red) Either way, yes somebody will be kidnapped and our new ninja will save her. No other spoilers. I'm not feeling generous right now.

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9

Another month went by after the quarrel between Michael and Tala. His relationship with Hilary was now official and Tomoko was always itching to learn more about the lucky girl. Tala had also quit drinking albeit slowly. Spencer hadn't seen Kai since the day they fought and he was wounded to say the least. Ray still kept her distance from Brian, impatiently waiting for Ranmaru to come back though her hope faded with each passing day. The All Starz were accepting of the changes that had fallen upon the BladeBreakers. Sumaru hadn't released Natsu from his care having not recovered his memory yet. It was a dreary Sunday afternoon and Brian found himself alone at home. Spencer had taken Syldra out on a date, Tala was meeting Hilary's parents for the first time and Ian had been called into work at the last minute. The rain was coming down heavily and showed no signs of stopping. Listening to the rain in silence was driving Brian crazy. He moved to turn the television on when there was a panicked knock at the door. Since it was raining outside the house wasn't expecting any company so the knock made Brian nervous. He was sent crashing to the floor after opening the door ajar to get a glimpse of the visitor. To his bewilderment and concern it was Melody who had collapsed on him and she looked terrible. Her clothes were ripped almost to shreds leading Brian to believe she'd just been assaulted. Melody's once soft cheeks were now littered with bruises of various sizes. Her bottom lip had also burst open and was bleeding endlessly. Without a word, Brian whisked Melody up to the spare bedroom and set her down on the bed. His heart raced like a runaway train, panic setting in quite quickly. "B…Brian?" "Melody what the hell happened?" "Simon he…" "Finally made a move. I'll be having words with Sven about this. Don't worry you're safe here I promise." "Brian it hurts." 'What do I do now?! I've never been in this kinda situation before. Maybe one of the others can help me. I should at least get her dry first. She'll catch a death of cold dressed in that. But would Melody trust me to do that?'

At Hilary's house Tala was extremely nervous around her father. It was clear that Hilary had her mother's looks whereas her dad was black haired brown eyed. The man hadn't taken kindly to finding out Hilary was dating a man in his twenties. A shrill ring interrupted the silence. It just so happened to be Tala's phone and he wasn't amused, yelling down the phone at the caller in Russian. _"What the heck do you want Brian?! You know I'm busy today!" _Brian bit back in the same tongue, not happy with being scolded. _("Well I'm so sorry to ruin your perfect day! I find myself in a spot of bother. Melody just arrived at the door and she's in a bad way. I don't know what to do Tal.") "Why couldn't you bug Spencer about this? He's the medical expert not me. I'm not coming home and that's final. How bad is she hurt?" ("Beaten and raped I'd say. Her bottom lip has completely exploded.") "I think you're over exaggerating there. A lip can't explode. Just calm down and clean her wounds. Regardless of whether she trusts you or not, you've gotta get Melody into some dry clothes. Just be gentle. And for fuck sake man kiss her already. This could be your only chance to win her over." ("You're not the one torn between two attractive women.") _Hilary's parents weren't sure how to take the sudden outburst in a language unfamiliar to them so she explained. "You needn't be too concerned. It's probably just Ian getting under Tala's skin." "What language is he speaking?" "I think it's Russian. Tala and his brothers grew up there. He doesn't use his native tongue too often so I can't make out a word of it unless it's an insult." At that very moment Tala hung up on Brian and muttered something Hilary laughed at. "Like that for example. I'll not translate because it's not pleasant. Hey what's up?" "Brian being a pest." "I'm sure he had a perfectly fine reason to call. You shouldn't get so angry with him. Luck hasn't been kind to Brian recently." "I told him before we came here that I didn't want to be pestered. Besides Spencer can help him better given his situation. I'm sorry you had to hear that." Hilary's mother could only smile while her father gave a small grunt in disapproval. "Think what you want old man." Hilary groaned, knowing Tala would probably never get on with her dad.

Hilary gave Tala a look that told him to apologise to Brian about being so aggressive and he did so without picking up his phone. Light ran across Tala's eyes as his computerised brain worked away. Hilary really wished he wouldn't do that in front of her parents. Especially since her father was looking at him weirdly. During the action of privately sending Brian a message, Tala's face went completely blank. This made Hilary's mother worry. "Is he alright?" "Yes mom. Tala tends to look like that when he's thinking. Don't you dear?" Silence. "And as usual in this state he's not listening." Tala sat up from his hunched forward position, face regaining its lost life. "I'm sorry did you say something?" "It doesn't matter. Are you sure you're feeling alright?" "I assure you I'll be okay. So long as you're here with me." Hilary didn't expect Tala to become so open as he kissed her, ignoring the glare sent his way. Hilary was so busy with being given affection that she didn't notice her father receiving a slap. "Hannah." "That's enough Oscar. You're making the poor boy feel uncomfortable. I'll go put the kettle on." Hilary gave a little wave to acknowledge Hannah, not opening her eyes for a second. Oscar followed her into the kitchen for a private word. Hannah knew the conversation was probably not going to go in favour of Tala being suitable for her daughter. "I don't see what your problem is Oscar. Tala's a nice young man." "You're blind Hannah. You saw how quickly his temper went through the roof." "Because his time with Hilary was interrupted. He wants to be with her. I'd go so far as to say he's desperate for her affection." "I want him out. Something is off about him and Hilary's only going to get hurt because of it." Little that Oscar and Hannah knew, Tala was listening to their conversation. He'd been journeying to the bathroom when Oscar's words bit into him. They stung so bad that Tala didn't wish to stay in the house any longer, making a beeline for the front door. Hilary knew something was wrong, pulling Tala into her arms. "What's wrong? Don't pay attention to anything my father says. Sit down and I'll go talk to them." "Why bother? His mind is made up. He doesn't want me here, Hilary." "I'm bothering because he's failing to see the real you. Now sit down and don't go anywhere. I won't tell them everything. Only what they need to hear."

Tala immediately grew fearful. Oscar was likely to hate him even more if he found out about the abuse that was his childhood. Hannah could guess by the look on Hilary's face that Oscar had upset Tala. "You're in trouble now dear." "I don't care. I want him out of this house." Hilary growled, putting one foot forward making Oscar flinch. Hilary had his temper and it showed on every inch of her face. "You'll take back everything you've said about Tala. You don't know anything about him and what he's been through to get here!" "Don't raise your voice at me young lady! That man is dangerous!" 'I sure hope Tala isn't listening to this. Otherwise he WILL be dangerous.' "Shut up! You have no idea how much your words bit into him. A few months ago the girl Tala was going to ask the hand of heartlessly left him. It's taken me this long to open him up. And that's not the only thing. Tala's more frightened of you than nervous because he was abused by men as a boy. Everything that happened to Tala should've killed him but he fought back to be where he is now. Whether you like it or not I love him. And I'm hoping to have a family with Tala one day. I won't deny that Tala has his moments of being violent but that's only if his family is put in danger. You have two choices. Either you accept Tala for who he is or I'll no longer be your daughter. And to prove that I'd be more than happy to go and live with him. Pick wisely." Oscar balled his fists tightly. He wasn't taking kindly to Hilary yelling at him. Hannah looked too late when a fist connected with Oscar's gut, sending him sprawling on the floor. Hilary feared that Tala had been listening to every word or even sensed that Oscar was growing violent. She silently prayed that his eyes wouldn't change colour. "If you so much as lay a finger on her I'll rip you to pieces. That's a promise." Tala turned to Hilary, pulling her into his arms for protection. "Are you okay?" "Yes I'm fine Tala. I guess you heard that." "It was hard not to. I…I didn't know you cared so much." "Stop being silly. I'd go to the ends of the earth to protect you." Hannah was happy to see Tala holding Hilary but Oscar was fuming, grabbing the nearest sharp knife. Sadly Tala sensed this, his eyes turning pitch black.

To Tala's surprise Hannah stood between him and Oscar, a look of defiance on her face. With her father distracted, Hilary removed Tala from the kitchen to try and calm him down before either Oscar or Hannah saw the change in Tala's eye colour. Cooling Tala's temper proved easy. All Hilary had to do was kiss him and he was back to his usual self. Hannah emerged just as the kiss was broken. "I don't mean to sound rude Tala deary but it's best you went home. Sooner or later Oscar will cross the line. You're a nice young man and I don't want to see you get hurt. Come on I'll drop you off." "You didn't have to do that." "Do what dear?" Hannah blinked to rid her mind of the confusion that had grown the second Tala's arms had snaked around her waist. Even Hilary had been caught off guard by the sudden hug. "You put yourself between your husband and me. Why? I barely even know you." "Tala I already told you. I don't want to see you hurt. Hilary would be very upset if you got hurt and had to leave. All I want is for my daughter to be happy in life. I've been thinking about leaving Oscar for a while anyway. Just out of curiosity Tala, would you like to have driving lessons?" "I've never really thought about it. In truth it'll be easier on Brian with one less brother to ferry around to work in the mornings. But my brothers have always been concerned about me learning." "They must love you very much Tala I'm sure. If it's okay with them, I'd like Hilary to move in with you." "Mom? What's going on?" When Hannah met Hilary's eyes they were ridden with guilt at not revealing what she was about to say a lot sooner. "For a few months now your father has been trying to find you a suitor. I've had no say in this. And you wouldn't have one either. Learning that you've found someone he doesn't like, Oscar will do something drastic. I wanted to tell you but your father wouldn't allow it. All those boys you dated were chosen by him. Even Kenshiro." Hearing that name reminded Tala about what had happened all those months ago to Kai because of Kenshiro. Hannah knew the very mentioning of the boy angered Tala since his hands curled into fists. "Hilary I realise you never told me what happened with him." "He hurt one of my friends who also happens to be one of Tala's youngest brothers. Now he's in a coma and will probably stay there."

Meanwhile at a flashy restaurant, Spencer and Syldra were enjoying a meal together. Every now and again Spencer's mind wandered to how Tala was doing with Hilary's parents. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up whenever he sensed trouble. Syldra never had to ask what was wrong. She knew Spencer well enough to understand his actions. They just finished dessert when Syldra's phone went off. "One moment. It's Sophie." "Take your time." With a nod Syldra answered the call. "Hey Sophie what's up?" ("Syldra I…I've just been told something.") "By who? Is your mom okay?" ("She's dead.") Syldra's face paled, now understanding why Sophie's voice sounded so strained. "Sophie I'm so sorry. Do you want me to come over?" ("No. But there's something bothering me. As she was dying my mother told me that she wasn't my real mother.") "I don't understand. I'm out with Spencer right now but we can come see you and sort this mess out. I'm sure he can help you." ("I'll meet you at his place in half an hour. I don't want to stay in this house much longer. Not after what I've been told.") "Okay you be careful on the roads. In a bit Sophie." Spencer hadn't heard much of the call but his ears picked up on Sophie saying she'd meet them at the house of Blitzkrieg in half an hour. He knew something was wrong. Sophie had never shown interest in meeting his family before so this was very strange. "Syldra what's going on?" "It's Sophie. She just lost her mother. But as the woman died she said something about not being Sophie's biological mother." "I can already tell Sophie who her father is because I know the man. We should go in order to get back to mine in time." "Yes. Lucky we just finished lunch. I'd feel terrible cutting it short." "So would I but Sophie means a lot to you. She's your best friend. I know I'd do the same if it was one of my brothers in need of help." Spencer paid for the bill, leaving a tip behind before he and Syldra ventured out into the rain. It had slowed but still fell heavily. The restaurant wasn't far from the house, roughly a ten minute car ride away. Brian was still in a panic about what to do with Melody by the time Spencer walked in. "Brian are you feeling okay?" "Spencer. I need help."

Brian explained everything that had taken place to Spencer and the giant could only sigh. He mused that Brian really was hopeless when it came to women. He opted to help out whilst Sophie was on her way. Syldra was by herself in the living room when Tala returned with Hilary, Hannah and some bags. "Company. What an unexpected surprise. This must mean Spencer is home. It's been a while Syldra." "And if my memory serves right you're Tala." "That I am. I thought you'd both be out a while longer." "Something came up. Spencer's helping Brian upstairs. I don't know what with. You look tired." "I assure you I'm fine. Hannah, why don't you stay a while? I'm sure the others won't mind much." "If you're sure. Might I ask who decorated this room?" Hilary smiled, hugging Tala's waist almost too tightly for his liking. "My friends did. They've known Tala's lot for a few years and offered to help out. And I helped out in the garden." Hannah said nothing further, sitting down next to Syldra whilst Hilary and Tala went opposite directions. Tala journeyed upstairs and Hilary moved into the kitchen. For twenty minutes Tala and the girls sat chatting until there was a knock on the door. Spencer emerged to answer it. In his opinion, Sophie looked like a wreck. He stepped aside to let her in, leading his grieving boss to where Syldra was sitting. "Sophie! Look at the state of you. Have you even eaten anything?" "Syldra please. I really don't need you fussing over me right now." "I'm sorry. But you know I worry about you. Being solitary and all." "Guess I can't fault you for worrying. What happened to your arm?" Spencer looked away from feeding his fish at Sophie's question. "Oh I kinda broke it a month ago. It shouldn't take much longer to heal. Syldra says you need help understanding something. I'll help in any way I can." "Despite how mean I can be?" "Yes. Syldra's your friend so that makes you mine also. There you go you greedy little buggers. That ought to keep you quiet for a while." "They're very pretty." "Thanks. It took a while to get them all used to each other. Sit yourself down I'll put the kettle on." Spencer hadn't the chance to leave as Tala stood in his way. "Tala, move." "Sit. It's my fault you're arm is in that state." "Tala don't make me hurt you." "Try it I dare you." Hilary groaned in annoyance.

Luckily Spencer had no interest to start a fight, sitting down like he was told to. As luck would have it, Ian came marching through the door looking tired. The youngest Russian squealed upon being flung over Tala's shoulder, screaming in Russian, legs flailing. Hilary pulled Ian down into the spare seat next to her and Hannah before he could cause trouble. "So where have you been?" "Work. They needed me to cover for someone. I guess it didn't go well?" "Hm? Partially. Only my dad disagrees." "If he hurts Tala…" "It's alright Ian. By the way, I'm moving in with you guys." "What? Why? Not that we mind at all but. This is really sudden." "I know Ian. It's because my father is being an asshole. If he had his way, I'd never see Tala again. I'll be safer here." "It makes us happy to know we're trusted by someone. So I guess this is your mom huh? You sure look a lot like each other." Hannah smiled and patted Ian gently on the head to let him know his compliment was accepted. "I'll be honest. When Hilary said Tala had brothers I thought she meant blood related." "No ma'am. We've been together so long we're pretty much like family to each other now." "I see where you're coming from young man. I was like that with my old friends. Should I be warned about any other pets about the place?" "How silly of us to not introduce you. I'll be right back." Ian was upstairs before Hilary could protest. She knew full well how much her mother feared snakes. Hannah's face lost all colour the second she saw the boa. Ian noticed it so he stayed up on the balcony that overlooked the living room. "This is Kami. She won't bite." Tala's dogs made themselves known, cuddling up to Hilary. "Czar and Lania belong to Tala. They're pretty much harmless unless one should harm their master or friends. And Brian has a falcon called Sheera. Spencer hasn't given his fish names. There's so many he'd probably confuse us with them." "Are they tropical fish Spencer?" "You have a good eye. Yeah most of them can be found in the Manauri Sea off the south Paoul coast." "I worked in a pet shop once that sold tropical fish so it was easy for me to tell. Is Tala alright? He's taking his time in there." "I'll go check. He's probably getting his ear talked off by Tomoko again."

Hilary hadn't been wrong in her guess. She found Tala sitting at the table, face expressionless so that meant he was having a private phone conversation. Once everyone had their drinks it was time for Sophie to explain what was confusing her. The Sophie Spencer was seeing now was almost alien to him, as if his evil boss had a sweet innocent sister. "Alright Sophie what do you my need help to understand?" "I suppose I shouldn't be so confused. Her words were clear enough. So clear they stung. The woman I'd grown up calling mom was a fake. She admitted to stealing me from my real mother twenty years ago not long after I'd been born. Why she told me on her deathbed I don't know." "Perhaps the guilt she felt finally got to her. Did she tell you who your real parents are?" "I was only given a family name. One I seem to recognise." "What name did she give you Sophie?" "Granger. Then she said look for a dojo. There are dozens of them in Japan alone." Sophie flinched when Spencer placed his good hand on her shoulder. There was a look of understanding in his eyes as he spoke. "I've had my suspicions for a long time that you were related to somebody I knew. Looks like I was right. Hilary, could you call Bruce and have him come over here?" "Sure. I won't be a minute. But I have to ask if Sophie is ready for this. It wouldn't be fair to just drop the bombshell like that." Sophie gave a meek nod, hugging her knees. Hilary wasn't blind to the similarity between Sophie and Hiro. All Bruce had been told was that somebody wanted to see him. He'd be there soon so Sophie had to clean herself up. Hilary was a little worried about Brian not being present until Spencer mentioned that Melody had been attacked and arrived at their door. A knock shattered the silence and Sophie began to tremble. Her shaking intensified the very second Bruce caught Sophie's eyes. Spencer had a brief word with Bruce before letting him approach Sophie. Syldra had taken that time to soothe her nervous friend. Hilary also consoled Sophie, telling her that Bruce wasn't going to cause harm to her. Bruce returned looking calmer, slowly taking Sophie's hands as he sat down beside her. "So my mother finally coughed up. I don't blame you for being confused, Sophie. You've every right to be. If you're angry I'll understand."

"Why would I be angry with you?" Bruce swallowed thickly, dreading how Sophie was going to react. "Well Sophie y'see. I wasn't there when you were born. I used to do research on bitbeasts so my job took me away from home. The flight to bring me back here to Japan kept getting delayed so I eventually gave up hope of getting home on time. Your grandfather passed away recently after telling me my wife had twins. He was very upset at not being able to protect you." Bruce waited to see what Sophie would do next. She was taking everything rather well so far. Nobody expected to see Bruce receiving a hug minutes later. "You did your best and that's all that matters. Do I have a brother or sister?" "You have a twin brother called Hiro. I'm not entirely sure how he's going to take this. You look so much like your mother, Daisy." "I do?" "Yes. I'm afraid she's no longer with us. I lost your mother to sickness. This must be a lot for you to take in so suddenly." "Just a little. When can I see Hiro?" "Soon. Once we've had a little chat in private. If you need anything I'm only a phone call away. I've got twenty years of your life to catch up on and I'll dare say I'm eager to get started. Spencer tells me you're quite ruthless when it comes to your job." "In my position it's necessary. The man I knew to be my father taught me that being soft wouldn't get me anywhere so I sort of developed a protective shell to shield myself, putting up a cold front. But I find most times it only causes me pain. I've never really felt happiness before. Until now." "That reminds me of someone we know. Great I'm needed at the BBA. I've gotta go but don't be afraid to visit. Spencer could you?" "Of course. C'mon boss. In the kitchen with ya. There's something you need to know before visiting the dojo." "Alright. I might stop by tomorrow. I'm not really up to going anywhere far today given what's happened. And Hiro will likely need time to calm down." "I'm sure he'll be fine. Well I'd better not be late otherwise he'll have my head. Don't worry Sophie. We're here for you." Sophie allowed Bruce to cuddle her before he left the building to avoid Hiro's wrath. Curiosity about what Spencer would tell her swam around in Sophie's mind.

The moon was hidden by the clouds that night. Hilary was a little nervous since this was her first time sleeping with Tala. Up til now they'd only napped together on sofas. Tala was sleeping without a care beside Hilary, unaware of her worry. In two months she'd be going to university. Tala wasn't Hilary's only concern. Kai was close to giving birth and Natsu was still nowhere in sight. There was a warm smile on Spencer's face when he knocked and entered the room. "Hey. You wanna talk?" "If you think it'll help." Spencer moved around the kitchen quietly to make him and Hilary a drink. His wise blue eyes could easily see Hilary's nervousness. "Nervous?" "Just a little bit. There's so much going on I don't know if I'll be able to cope." "You'll be fine with us and your team there to support you. Once my arm has healed I'll be getting some driving lessons." "Best pray Brian doesn't find out. Otherwise you'll be tortured again." "Yes that's true. Until Ian grows a few more inches he's banned from sitting behind a car wheel. And I'm sure you can guess we're very nervous of letting Tala learn." "Because of Boris. Have you made any progress with that?" "A little. With our working lives we don't really have much free time. At weekends we'd be trying to find a way to cure the others. The trail is running cold, Hilary. And we've found nothing. I fear they'll have to remain that way." Hilary could see guilt written on every inch of Spencer's face, cupping it in her hands. "You all tried your best, Spencer. There's no reason for you to feel guilty." "But I promised Kai I'd turn him back at all costs. Not being able to keep that vow I feel terrible. How is he? After what happened all those weeks ago I haven't seen him. And he's avoiding my calls." "He's distant from all of us to be honest. Natsu's disappearance is doing nothing to help either." "I guess all I can do is wait for him to come around. But whether Kai likes it or not I'm going to be there when the baby is born. And if Boris wants it so badly he'll have to kill me first. The others too. Death is no stranger to us. We've been knocking on its door many a time in the past. Having been so close to being purged from this planet we're not afraid of dying. Especially if it's to protect someone we all care about." After drinking their drinks, Hilary and Spencer retired to their beds for the much needed sleep.

Out in the dark streets, two people were making haste to their destination. A crimson glow radiated in the distance, the sign of something burning. Both figures were cloaked in total shadow to hide their identities. They stopped for very few breaks to recover from the mad sprinting pace. The cloudy sky granted little light, the clouds suffocating the moon held signs of rain within their misty arms. After twenty minutes of running, a mansion revealed itself to the couple and a sense of relief washed over the shorter figure. With no further need for sprinting, the duo walked calmly up the crunchy gravel pathway to reach the grand double doors that blocked out the cold air. It was a maid who answered the door, inviting the couple inside out of the bitter chill. She was all prim and proper this maid. But not as toffee nosed as some people might think. "Please wait here. I shall fetch the master right away. He was told that two people would be arriving during the night so he stayed up to wait. Would you like a drink while you wait? I must say you're both looking rather cold." "No thank you. But we appreciate the offer." "Very well." The maid plodded away out of the room, closing its dark oak door softly behind her. During the short wait, the man of the couple grew nervous. He was comforted by his partner but her gentle touch did little to soothe him. Not long after the maid vanished, she returned with a tired looking Mr. Dickenson but despite that he was cheerful. Until the guests revealed their faces. "I'm sorry for any inconvenience we've caused you Stanley but we need your help." "Stay for as long as you need to my dear." "Thank you. There is also an urgent matter I must speak with you about. It concerns a certain world championship winning team. But that can wait until morning. It looks like the day was cruel to you." "Indeed. Maya will show you to your room. I must say I have been concerned about the boys for a while now. They stopped training so suddenly I fear something ill has fallen upon them. For now we all need to get some sleep." No further words were exchanged after that. The mystery couple settled into their bed quite quickly but the man could not sleep. "It's going to be okay you'll see. I'll make them understand that you didn't want to do any of those things."

Another month dawned and summer was drawing to a close. Hilary had completely moved in with the Blitzkrieg Boys and couldn't be happier. Hearing that Hilary would be living with the boys shocked everyone. Spencer's arm had fully healed and he was now learning to drive with Syldra's help. Ray had lost all hope of Ranmaru coming back but she still avoided Brian after learning that Melody was courting him. With Natsu being gone for so long, she was presumed dead. This of course did little to soothe Kai, who was now seven months with child. Hilary would go to university starting next month. She was both nervous and excited. On the first week of August, Brian had been given a holiday due to working tirelessly. He found himself at home on his own. Brian was used to this by now. The first few hours of his day were spent watching the television but there was nothing interesting on. Ten minutes before midday there was a knock on the front door. Brian had a surprise to see Melody outside looking sassy. "Melody what a nice surprise. Come on in. I was just about to put the kettle on." "I can't stay Brian. I just stopped by to ask if you were free tomorrow." "Yeah. I'm not really doing anything. What time?" "Two o'clock sound okay?" "Sure. You look nice today." Melody stifled a giggle, her cheeks turning pink. "And you're still in your bed clothes. Seriously Brian." "Hm? Oh. I get kinda lazy on my days off. If I'm not going anywhere I don't tend to get dressed. So where am I meeting you?" "My place. Well I'd best be off now. The girls are waiting for me. Have a nice day Brian." Said man never expected to receive a kiss on the cheek. That alone made his day. Brian searched his wardrobe for something decent to wear for tomorrow but he found nothing. 'Great. The last thing I wanted to do was go shopping for clothes. Well it had to happen sooner or later. Maybe Bruce can help me out. He's been on dates before.' Brian put an end to his thoughts and threw on the nearest set of clothes he could find. To Brian's misfortune, the All Starz were at the dojo, Judy included. Bruce immediately saw the look in Brian's eyes, dragging him to a quiet room. Michael was already itching to start trouble that would likely cause him pain. After having a brief discussion with Bruce, Brian hit the shops, taking the elder Granger with him…and Hilary too.

Helping Brian to find some good looking clothes was extremely difficult since he was such a picky person. Hilary scolded him often for being so fussy. In the end Bruce sent Hilary off to buy something for Tala. Just to get her distracted. "There now it's just us. I understand you must be feeling nervous Brian." "Yeah. Given how Melody has been acting I can't help but worry that I might hurt her if she tries taking things further." "Chin up kid. I was just like you at your age. Especially when it came to finally getting laid. Here we are. I'm sure you'll find something you like in here. Hilary won't be back for a while." Brian wasn't sure why but he felt relaxed around Bruce. At first he'd been petrified of him no thanks to the abuse. But over time Brian had gotten to see Bruce for who he really was. He'd always been there when the team needed him, and now Bruce was helping Brian get ready for his first real date. With Hilary gone, Brian was able to relax. Her presence was making him uneasy for some reason. Bruce noticed there was something else on Brian's mind. "Something bothering you Brian?" "Well it's Kai's birthday soon and we don't know what to get him. A cat was the first thing we thought of but." "You weren't sure if they were allowed in the dojo. So long as it doesn't scratch the woodwork to pieces. What day does Kai turn eighteen properly?" "August 15th." "I'll keep that in mind. Is there anything catching your attention?" Brian took a moment to think before asking for Bruce's opinion on a dark burgundy shirt. Help wasn't far away. It just so happened that Salima worked in the shop Bruce and Brian were in so she helped him find the ideal clothes. Bruce had to admit when Brian changed into the clothes he looked good. Salima received thanks from Brian before he and Bruce left the shop to find Hilary. And something for Kai. A few hours later the shopping trip was over. Brian dropped Bruce and Hilary off at the dojo before heading home. To thwart the feeling of boredom, Brian decided to clean the house, put some laundry on and water the flowers. Not long after moving in, Hilary had planted some Rose bushes of various colours to brighten the yard a bit. She was a keen gardener in Brian's eyes.

When the others got home they had a surprise to see Brian still cleaning the place. He'd even moved the furniture to vacuum underneath it all. They received a second shock when Brian sat them all down and put the kettle on. "Did we miss something?" "C'mon Spence you know what Brian's like when he gets bored. He goes cleaning crazy." "Ugh I swear sometimes he's got OCD." When Brian returned and set all the drinks down, Spencer grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him into the empty seat situated beside him. "Take a break Brian. How long have you been playing maid?" "?" "Idiot, how long have you been running around spring cleaning?" "Oh. Um. About five hours." "Five hours?! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" "At least you can relax this weekend." Now was one of those times Spencer really wanted to kill Brian for not thinking of his health but he knew the lilac haired blader only meant well. Having a week off work with nothing to do would drive anybody crazy. "Well we've got the day off tomorrow so it wouldn't hurt to go see the BabeBreakers." "Kai would kill you if he heard that." "But I'll live coz he's not here. Hey Brian is it true?" Brian blinked, hoping Hilary hadn't gone and leaked the news about his first date. "What do you mean Ian?" Brian's eyes were warning Ian not to make a joke of the situation. "What's that face for? I was only going to ask if we were really getting Kai a cat for his birthday this year." "Well Bruce said he doesn't mind so long as the woodwork doesn't get demolished. It'd make no sense buying the animal now though. There's still a good week or so to go. Do the others know?" Brian directed his question at Hilary and she nodded. "Yeah. We're all going to club together to get him something. But Kai's very hard to buy for." "Can't argue there. I guess some makeup wouldn't go down well." "Ian!" "C'mon I'm kidding. Unless Kai's music preference has changed, that's your best bet. We're all into rock music mainly but also something on the side." "I wouldn't have guessed. So what other music does Kai like? We've never known him to care about it all that much." "N'SYNC has always been a favourite of his. The last I heard he lost his CD with their stuff on it." "Then that's what we'll get. Thanks Ian." "No problem. You don't really have to worry about us." "It wouldn't be fair to leave you guys out."

As the evening wore on, Brian grew more nervous of going on a date with Melody. He'd be spending the morning with the guys and that would hopefully keep him distracted. His new clothes were clean and dried ready to wear. In the dark of night, Brian sat in the kitchen with a drink in hand. He couldn't sleep with being so nervous. Brian never expected Hilary to join him in only her bed clothes. "Feeling nervous still?" "Yeah. Did I wake you?" "No. In truth I'm too worried about you to go to sleep. Don't worry Tala knows I want to help you. Now what's bothering you the most Brian?" "Well I err." "It's alright. I'm not going to poke fun at you. It's the first kiss isn't it? You're worried about disappointing Melody." "Actually I'm afraid that I'll hurt her. We've never really had proper physical contact together. I fear that I'll be too rough with her." "Then why not practise on me first? Tala won't mind so long as you don't bone me." "No offense Hilary but I wouldn't dream of touching you." Hilary smiled, placing Brian's arms around her waist. She tipped her head back to meet Brian's eyes. "Come on now don't be shy. Now's the time you'll have to kiss her." "This doesn't feel right. I can't." Brian tried to walk away but Hilary wouldn't let him. "Running away won't solve anything Brian. I know how you feel. I've had a lot of boyfriends by now. The first boy I kissed was just like you. He had people problems too. I will admit I was a little nervous about kissing Tala. Mainly because I was frightened of disappointing him. All you have to do is go 95% of the way and Melody will do the rest. Aren't you cold in nothing but a pair of shorts?" Brian shrugged, moving his face closer to Hilary's until she stopped him. "That's fine. If you pull back I'm going to slap you. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes ma'am." Brian's pulse raced as Hilary closed the small gap between them. His fear faded with each passing second, allowing Hilary to guide him in the right direction. She was pleased when Brian deepened the practise kiss, leaning into his arms to get him used to how Melody would react in the same situation. They broke for air and Hilary was impressed. "Not bad Brian. You're a good kisser. I'm sure you'll do just fine. However I'm not teaching you how to do her right."

Brian was roused from his slumber by morning birdsong and one of Tala's dogs giving him a sloppy kiss. Before Hilary could claim the bathroom Brian went for a shower, forgetting to lock the door. He was about to get out ten minutes later just as the door opened. Much to Brian's dismay it was Hilary. Seeing her scared the life out of Brian and he slipped on a bar of soap. After that he struggled to get out of the bathtub. "Well aren't you clumsy this morning? Silly thing." All Brian had to do was give Hilary a look and she handed him the towel. "You really should try locking the door Brian. Come on out you get." Brian's morning could only get worse from there. He was almost out of the bath safely but the bar of soap that assaulted him the first time struck again since it had flown out of the bath. He slipped and in turn, pushed Hilary to the floor. They landed in the worst possible position. Hilary had fallen with her legs wide, thus Brian was now between them. Hearing the almighty bang, Tala went to investigate. He wasn't happy to see Brian on top of Hilary. "It's alright Tala. Brian's just having a bad morning that's all." "But what are you doing in here?" "I didn't know the bathroom was occupied and Brian hadn't locked the door. Come on you I'm getting all wet down here." Brian didn't need telling twice but the evil soap got him again and this time Brian fell backwards. Luckily the towel covered his manly bits. "Oh Brian. What are we going to do with you?" "Damned possessed soap. Why is it always me?" With Brian finally out of sight Hilary released a sigh. Tala didn't care that Hilary's top was soaking wet, pulling her into his arms. "I'm alright Tala." "How'd it go last night?" "Brian's going to be just fine. Despite his run of bad luck this morning." Tala smiled a small smile, moving in to kiss Hilary's neck. She didn't fail to notice his friend downstairs was getting excited. "Tala, no. Not yet." "What?" "You're stiff." "That's new. I won't pressure you Hilary. I'll be honest. Lyuba never let me go that far either." "Tala I'm not saying I don't want you. I just need a little more time. Our relationship is still young. But you should know I'm not innocent." "Who's the lucky bastard who plucked you?" "Kai. It was after the attack and his hormones went crazy." "I don't blame him. You're a beautiful girl Hilary. I've never known anyone like you before."

By the time Ian got to the shower all the hot water had been used up. His shriek of horror made the others laugh. When the youngest Russian came into the kitchen Spencer reminded him not to have a shower after Tala and Hilary. Especially since Tala had cold showers in the morning. They all headed out after breakfast and luckily Brian's morning showed no signs of getting worse. At the dojo very few people were awake. Max was bright eyed bushy tailed along with Hiro and Bruce. Ray was assisting Kai since she was starting to struggle with her daily routine. Tyson and Daichi were still in bed. And Kenny was busy doing whatever it was she did on her laptop. Hilary and the Blitzkrieg Boys walked in the very same second a scream came from upstairs. Hiro shook his head, not looking away from the paper in his hands whilst the other three giggled. "Will Tyson ever learn not to have a shower after Kai? Or at least turn the dial up?" "Hiro you know all too well those kinds of things require a brain. Tyson doesn't seem to have one." "Now it's just Daichi to fall victim to the cold water. Then again, I have a better idea. I've yet to get him back for throwing water on me the other day." Hiro vacated the room and Bruce was a little worried. "Oh dear. Daichi's in trouble now. I remember the last time Tyson doused Hiro in water. It didn't end well for her." Spencer and Ian grinned. They knew the prank all too well. It used to be quite common for the boys to fool around in the mornings. In fact, Brian was the main victim of the practical joke. "Those were the days. I do miss them." "Yeah well I've learned never to be up last. Or close to it." The look in Tala's eyes told Hilary he had plans to torture Brian later. There was revenge to be had for the previous morning. "So are you guys doing okay? We've been a little worried about your wellbeing since Hilary moved in." "We're fine Max. Hilary doesn't cause us much grief to be brutally honest. Watching her punish you opened our eyes early. That's not to say Ian won't wind her up just for fun." "Aww that's not fair." "It's perfectly fair. Besides if anyone gets tortured by Hilary it's likely to be Tala." Said man had his hair ruffled by the shorter brunette girl and he seemed to enjoy the attention.

By late morning all the Granger dojo residents were awake. Kai flat down refused to leave her room after hearing Spencer talking. She was still wounded from their mini argument. Hiro's revenge on Daichi had gone off without a hitch. The young redhead was now plotting revenge back on Hiro. Just before midday Max went out into the back yard to put some fresh flowers on Grandpa Granger's grave. She still had a hard time accepting that he was gone. There was nobody in the kitchen so when Max was grabbed from behind and knocked unconscious no one was aware of the danger. Hiro's ears twitched along with Ray's when they heard what sounded like the slamming of a car door. By the time Hiro got outside Max and her attacker had vanished. A certain item on the floor caught Hiro's eye. He'd bought Max a gold pendant for her birthday, and it was currently lying on the floor next to his grandfathers' resting place. "Max?!" Hiro's panic drew Tala outside, a flicker of yellow in his eyes. "Hiro what's wrong?" "Someone took Max. Damn it I failed again!" Tala's eyes held a critical glare as he watched Hiro fall to the floor. To try and help, Tala made his way onto the roof to get a good view of the city, his blue eyes taking on a shade of yellow ochre. A few of the others came out after hearing all the commotion, including Kai. Leaping down from the dojo roof, Tala inspected the tyre tracks outside the gate. Using them he was able to determine which direction the car went. Something darting in the distance caught Tala's attention but he chose not to say anything. "They headed west. Other than that I haven't a clue where Max is being taken. Help is at hand. Don't worry." "I can't just sit here!" "You will do as you're told! Just trust me. Max isn't alone out there." Hiro hung his head defeated and turned to head inside until a hand was set upon his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Hiro. You'd only get hurt going after her. I understand that Max means a lot to you." Hiro gave Tala a look that told him to stop talking but it failed. "What's the matter? Afraid of the others knowing? They might be blind but we're not." "Shut your mouth Tala." Tyson and Daichi tilted their heads to the side whereas Kai gave Hiro a look that told him she was disgusted before going inside. Unfortunately for Kai Spencer was waiting to ambush her.

No matter how hard Kai fought she could not break free from Spencer's hold. Kicking and screaming did little to help Kai's situation. All the noise she made blocked out the sound of a car pulling up out the front. Nobody knew what to say when Mr. Dickenson walked in, a sour look on his face. Hiro's face paled, knowing they were all in trouble. "Mr.D what are you doing here?" "Hiro, it has come to my attention that you've not been truthful with me about your team. Why didn't you say something?" "Sir I. The guys were stressed enough as it is. I didn't want to add anymore pressure. Plus we were all pretty scared about what you'd think. If the media finds out…wait a minute. How did you get hold of that information?!" Mr. Dickenson's frown turned into a smile as he stroked his moustache. "I believe somebody you all know went missing about a month ago." The closing of a car door made everyone freeze as a shadow approached the dojo. Kai couldn't believe her eyes when Natsu stepped inside looking perfectly healthy. "Hello everyone. Sorry to keep you waiting." 'Three, two, one…' "MOM!" Despite being seven months pregnant Kai launched herself into Natsu's arms without thinking twice. Everyone was relieved to see Natsu back alive. "Where were you? We've been worried sick." "I've been…busy. I should've been more vigilant." "So you were kidnapped?" Tala now stepped forward, feeling some relief. "Yes Tala. There's somebody I want you all to meet but before I bring them in, promise me you won't go into a flying rage." "It will depend on the visitor, Natsu. But very well. You have my word that I'll not doing anything rash." Once Natsu had everyone in agreement, she stepped back outside and led somebody out of the car but they were very stubborn about going into the dojo. Tala watched as the shadows danced on the floor and he had a bad feeling about the new visitor Natsu had brought along. Time stopped the very second everybody laid eyes on the tall, muscular figure at Natsu's side. A few people were angry but they had to keep their promise not to hurt them. Kai on the other hand was lost in her oldest memories, back before she knew Spencer when everything was great.

Out in the streets, a black sedan cruised down the roads. The man driving the vehicle was oblivious to somebody following him. A figure clad in black clothing stalked the car carefully. Oddly there were no people about. In the back seat of the automobile was Max. She was unconscious, gagged and bound at the wrists and ankles. A thud on the roof alerted the driver of some unwanted company. The sunroof was ripped clean from the car so the assailant had something to hold as the car driver tried to shake them off. The driver was so preoccupied with trying to dislodge the unwanted company he didn't see a tree fast approaching until the last minute, shielding his face in a feeble act of defence. The dark figure landed on the ground gracefully, not wanting to get tangled between wood and metal. As hoped, the car ploughed bonnet first into the old oak tree, leaving Max unscathed in the back. The driver had been dazed by the collision allowing Max's saviour to get her safely out of the car. He wasn't stunned for long, pulling out an automatic pistol and firing several rounds, five to be exact. Three missed but the remaining two hit their mark, sinking into the left thigh of the shadowy rescuer as they tried to leap away. To the drivers' dismay the wounded figure was still able to move, bounding from roof to roof. Max showed no signs of waking up and her saviour was grateful. They didn't want Max to worry about the injuries sustained. 'Don't worry Max. I'll get you back home safely I promise. I'm doing myself no favours but it's the fastest way back to the dojo. But that man. He's not the same as the one Hiro and I almost cut to ribbons. I'll have time to think about that later. My first priority is getting Max back to them in one piece.' Within minutes the amethyst eyed hero landed in the dojo's back yard, setting Max down on the grass gently so not to cause her harm. To draw attention to the rear garden, Max's saviour whistled loudly before limping away. Sadly their wounds had become so aggravated the pain inflicted with every step was torture. They didn't get more than two paces away from Max before collapsing, the sweet darkness of sleep claiming their mind. Hiro was the one who came running. First he saw Max on the floor until his eyes wandered from toe to head of the person responsible for bringing her home. 'Impossible. It's…Ranmaru!'

Back inside the dojo, the others were stood stiff staring at the man accompanying Natsu and Mr. Dickenson. All the angry stares forced the stranger back a step but Natsu had a firm grip on his arm. Ray knew that Natsu wouldn't have brought him if she thought he'd endanger them. Kai's grey eyes met with the deeper grey orbs of none other than Sumaru Hiwatari, the father she thought to be dead. Before Kai or Natsu could say anything, Ray was called to the back yard. Her eyes grew wide upon seeing the unconscious male near Max. "Ranmaru!" Brian's cold stoic eyes lifted from their place on Sumaru's back when Ray's cry reached his ears. With no hopes of ever winning her over, Brian left the building wordlessly, sending somebody a message. The rumbling of Brian's truck snapped the others back into reality in time for Ray's arrival with the man she longed to be with. He was awake now but in a lot of pain. Tala and Spencer helped to sit Ranmaru down so his wounds could be treated. Natsu fought the urge to run and cradle her little brother because Sumaru would flee if she released him. Ray didn't care to notice Brian driving away, more concerned about Ranmaru and his refusal to having the biting bullets removed from his leg. Not one person expected Spencer to sharply clout Ranmaru across the face with the back of his hand. "Whether you like it or not, these rounds are being removed now. Since I'm no doctor, we're going to need one." Tala got the hint Spencer was giving, leaving the room quietly. Sumaru took a good look at Ranmaru, recognising him from the night he'd almost been cut to shreds. Tala wasn't gone long, returning to find Ray was now holding Ranmaru's hand tightly. "He shouldn't be too long. Just under ten minutes tops." "I hope we're not interrupting anything." "Nah. Doc said he was just looking through some stuff and that he was grateful for a break. How bad are the wounds?" Spencer sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Not good. The bullets have sunk in deep so getting them out will be quite painful." "Then it's a good job I told Doc to bring a sedative with him. He's going to need it for this one." Spencer wondered where Brian was going, other than to avoid being near Ranmaru.

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There you have it and now Mr. Dickenson is in the fray. The Doc will be sort of introduced next chapter but he'll play a major role later on. A bombshell in the next chapter. Hope you're all looking forward to it.


	10. Shocking Truths

FINALLY! The last chapter to upload! I'm working on chapter 11 right now and keep hitting brick walls. Now I feel really lazy so go ahead and read. I've got more typing to do yet and I'm already bored and annoyed.

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10

Roughly seven minutes later a dark silver Volkswagen Toureg pulled into the driveway. The man that stepped out of the vehicle had silver hair of the same colour and eyes of dark Jade. He looked to be in his mid sixties. Ranmaru had been moved into a quiet room but Natsu still remained at Sumaru's side. Tala greeted the new arrival and briefed him on the situation. When the man saw Sumaru he stopped stiff, eyes portraying a feeling of sheer surprise. "Great scot. Sumaru is that really you?" Sumaru looked at the man closely, feeling as if he should know him from somewhere. Before he could say a word, Tala cut in. "The reunion can wait until later Doc. Right now there's somebody who needs two bullets removed from their left thigh. ASAP." "Yes alright. I'm not getting any younger Tala. Cut me some slack lad." Tala didn't bother to answer, leading the doctor to where Ranmaru was. Ian was the only Blitzkrieg boy remaining but unlike his brothers, he did not look at Sumaru with critical eyes. However Ian was curious as to how Sumaru and the doctor knew each other. Sadly Ian had no chance to ask because Natsu saw the look in his eyes. "Ian, before you start probing, Sumaru has little memory of his past at current." "How come?" "Boris was using a special sort of drug on him." "You mean like the one that was used on Kai?" Natsu nodded, tightening her hold on Sumaru's arms when she felt it slipping away. "So in short, Boris had full control of Sumaru?" "For just about thirteen years. I'm not entirely sure if the drug will ever fade away. But I can answer how Sumaru knows the man you call Doc. Before I was sent back home for the remainder of my pregnancy, he was the doctor who checked on me and made sure I was okay. Doc has known Sumaru since he was a bit younger than you are now. Might I ask where you met him?" Ian grew a little withdrawn so Natsu figured he wasn't comfortable with speaking about his past. Since Ian was reluctant to answer, Kai spoke up on his behalf. "He treated our injuries at the Abbey. Doc wasn't like the other staff. He had no interest in global domination or experimenting on young boys."

Kai met Sumaru's eyes again as if seeking confirmation for something. "You were there too weren't you? Because grandfather put you there." Sumaru took a step back, a memory darting across his vision. He confirmed Kai's suspicion by nodding. Nobody expected Sumaru to speak after that. "He never wanted me. Why I cannot say." "Maybe because you don't look much like a Hiwatari. Without dual coloured hair nobody would think you were part of it." "Perhaps you are right. I also lack the crimson eyes of our ancestors." Sumaru grew distant when Hiro came back. He'd been watching over Max to make sure she was safe from being kidnapped again. However, the man Hiro saw before him wasn't like the cold eyed killer he'd almost cut to shreds. "Hiro, I believe you owe somebody an apology." "Me? Oh right. That. Well he was the enemy back then." "I don't care." Sumaru surprised Hiro by placing a hand on Natsu's shoulder to silence her. "Sumaru." "It is alright. I do not deny that the punishment I received was well earned. Even if I was not myself. In fact, being close to death again woke me up." "That's why you started to disobey the orders Boris was giving you." "Yes. He will not be happy to have lost me. But I was not his only weapon." Hiro took a step back, remembering that Ranmaru had muttered something about the person who had whisked Max away. "Ranmaru did say that the man he encountered wasn't you. Unfortunately he couldn't give me much in the way of details. I don't suppose you might be able to tell us who that bastard was?" Sumaru shook his head to say no. "I am sorry. The other people under his control are not familiar to me. We were briefed and trained separately. Unless I just cannot remember them due to the serum. I shall try my best to remember but I will not make any promises." "Anything you come by will be of great help to us. Where'd Brian vanish to?" "Not sure. He left not long after you called Ray to the back yard." "I can probably guess why." Kai blinked, failing to understand what Hiro was saying. "What?" "C'mon Kai you haven't seen the way he looks at Ray? Seriously. Brian probably knows he lost his chance to win Ray over." Kai fell silent, possibly out of anger.

Half an hour later the bullets had been safely removed from Ranmaru's leg and the wounds stitched up after being thoroughly cleaned. Some colour had returned to Ranmaru's face now that the ordeal was partially over. He limped into the living room to see Kai and Natsu had sandwiched Sumaru on a sofa as they slept. Ranmaru made an attempt to draw his sword but Hiro stopped him. "But Hiro…" "No Ranmaru. He's on our side now. It turns out that Boris was controlling Sumaru via a special drug to suppress his memories and make him obey any order without question. The same substance that was used on Kai by that little bastard who did this to him." Hiro indicated towards the huge bump under Kai's shirt, realising only too late that Sumaru was probably not aware of how Kai got pregnant in the first place. "Oopsie. I probably shouldn't have said that." Sumaru rose to his feet regardless of the arms trying to hold him down. "Now Sumaru, don't kill us." "Who did this to my son?" "I can assure you he's already been punished…" "Who was it?!" "Somebody on Boris's payroll!" Ranmaru couldn't believe how easily Sumaru had gotten the information out of Hiro. Perhaps it was the look in Sumaru's eyes. He stepped forward gingerly to avoid aggravating his leg. "So you must be the brother in law I never got to meet." "I presume you are Ranmaru?" "Yes." "Natsu never talked much about her family from what I now remember but she always spoke highly of you." "Really? Well I am her only sibling. And one of the only blood relatives she has left." "I do not understand." "Your father had our family slain out of anger for not being informed of Kai's birth. Or your betrothal to my sister. He also did it to stop you both from escaping. Besides me, our uncle is the only family member to have survived the massacre." "I had no idea he would go so far. Perhaps we should have left Russia before Kai was born. Maybe then your family would still be alive." "You don't know that for certain. Voltaire might've found out some other way. Just know that I'm not holding either of you responsible for their death. However I am not happy to learn it was you who kidnapped my sister. Just be thankful you're still breathing." Ranmaru had nothing further to say, limping out of the room to find Ray. Sumaru sat back down feeling rather ashamed of himself.

In a different room however, the others had been gathered together by Spencer, Tala, Ian and the doctor. Kenny knew things weren't looking good. "So why are we here? Why not get Kai involved?" Spencer had an apologetic look on his face when he answered. "Kenny, we're leaving Kai out for now because what we have to tell you is quite sensitive. It's been almost a year since you guys were attacked." "Spencer, dragging this out will only make us feel worse." "I realise that Tala. Guys, what I'm trying to say is that…there doesn't seem to be a way of turning you back." Ray, Tyson and Kenny looked at each other, not sure how to take the news. Yet they weren't angry. "It's okay Spencer. You did your best and that's all that matters. I guess this is why you didn't want to tell Kai just yet. How long will you wait?" "Until after the baby is born. He might not want it but it's the only way we'll all get to live longer. There's only one more option available to us now. And that's to take a DNA sample from one of you. There's very little chance of the formula Boris used being different for all of you. That would be too much work. He'd need something fast and simple." "What will happen to this sample?" "I can't be sure about what will happen exactly but Doc here will try to find a way to reverse what Boris has done. I'm sure you're aware by now that Doc worked for BIOVOLT once so he knows most of their secrets. All we ask is that you trust him. We turned to him the second we found out the severity of Boris's madness." There was some mild discussion between the girls and it was Tyson to step forward. "I'll do it. Is this gonna hurt?" Doc pulled some stuff out of his bag, a somewhat sickening grin on his face. "It all depends on how hard you fight. I'll try my best to be gentle. The rest of you can go now." "Are you sure you don't want any help Doc?" "I'll be fine Spencer. Besides, it might be slightly traumatic for you boys. I wouldn't want to cause you any mental harm." "Alright. Just promise you'll call if you need help." "You have my word." Ray and Kenny were a little reluctant about leaving Tyson alone with a stranger but Spencer shoved them out the door with ease. Tala was in Hilary's arms the very second she laid eyes on him.

Bruce had apparently been out of the dojo as he came through the front gate. By the time he arrived Natsu was wide awake and having a drink of tea. Bruce wouldn't admit it verbally but he'd missed her. A startling shift in the air made Natsu look outside. Bruce was sprinting up the path like a rocket. Sadly Sumaru noticed his haste and stood in Bruce's way. Nobody had really noticed how tall Sumaru was until Bruce crashed into him face first. Everyone cringed at the impact before Bruce fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Natsu was able to calm Sumaru down before he did something he'd regret later. "It's alright dear. Bruce meant no harm." "Who is he?" "Bruce is Hiro's father. He owns this dojo. Has done since his father passed away. I will admit that Bruce couldn't keep his eyes off me but he was just lonely. I on the other hand was holding out in hopes that you were still alive. The thirteen years I spent waiting were rewarded. Now be a good boy and play nicely." Sumaru looked at Natsu, feigning annoyance at her little joke. Hiro hauled Bruce inside and dumped him on the nearest available seat. "Man he needs to lose some weight. Dare I ask what you've got under your shirt Sumaru? Or are you just like Spencer with muscles made out of bricks?" Confusion was clear to see in Sumaru's eyes so Spencer tested Hiro's theory only to wish he hadn't been so hasty. Sumaru however just stood blinking. He apparently hadn't felt a thing. "Are you alright Spencer?" "Just peachy. If you think I'm made out of bricks then Sumaru is made of sterner stuff. He didn't even flinch. I however felt like I'd just thrown my fist at a sheet of 3ft thick iron. Must've been something BIOVOLT did to us. Muscles aren't supposed to be that hard if built up naturally, which mine are. Sumaru's too I'm guessing." Sumaru nodded in confirmation leaving no room for doubt. Kai had been sleeping when Bruce knocked himself out so when she woke up and saw him unconscious she panicked. "It's alright Kai. Bruce just suffered the same as Daichi only Sumaru was the wall." "Okay." "Are you feeling alright? Your face looks a little pale." "No better than usual. I guess I owe you an apology for how I've been behaving these last few months." "It's okay. I understand. You just rest up." Kai didn't argue, closing her eyes to the world once again.

Meanwhile with Brian, he was on his way to Melody's place after getting changed. She had agreed to see him earlier than planned, feeling rather lonely by herself. By the time Brian arrived, Melody had dressed herself in a tight, thigh high dress that was deep blue in colour owning a purple stripe down the sides. The dress had no straps but the very short sleeves kept it in place. On Melody's legs were silk tights, coloured mahogany. Lastly on her feet were shoes identical to the dress only the stripe was along the top. They had a high block heel, thus making Melody taller than Brian a little bit. "Hey Brian. You look good." Brian blushed at Melody's compliment, trying his best to hide it. "T-Thanks Melody. You're not too bad yourself. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." "No not at all. Come on in and I'll get us both a drink. How does wine sound?" "Anything but red will be fine." "I hear ya. Sit yourself down on the sofa and get comfy." Brian found the sitting room with little difficulty, parking his backside on the first seat that appealed to him. The room wasn't too garish, slightly modern looking with comfy seats. Melody even had a large flat screen television hanging on a wall. She wasn't gone too long, returning within about five minutes with two glasses of white wine and the bottle hanging in a bucket on her arm. "Here we are. I guess something must've come up for you to be here early. But that's okay I don't mind. We all have our shares of troubles these days." "Melody." "Yes Brian? What is it?" "I think it's time I told you. About my past." "You don't have to. To be honest I've never been all that curious. Besides, your actions said it all for you." "What?" "I derived from them that you were…mistreated as a boy. At least that's what it seemed like." "Mistreated would be a huge understatement. Tortured seems a more appropriate word. It wasn't just me. My brothers suffered the same. We've been close to death several times and all of us were trained to kill a grown man by the age of nine. I'll understand if you turn away from me now, Melody. After all, I'm nothing but a monster on the inside. It's all I can do to force it back but one day it'll break free and somebody is gonna get badly hurt or worse. The abuse I suffered wasn't just the typical beatings and neglect."

Brian's heart was pounding hard and fast against his ribcage. He waited for the inevitable to happen. Brian had his eyes tightly shut so he couldn't see the look of pity in Melody's eyes. She took one of his clenched fists and unfurled it, locking their fingers together. This action shocked Brian greatly. He'd expected Melody to toss him aside after learning the truth. But there he was, looking into her eyes that shone with understanding. "You're barking mad if you think I'm just going to throw you away like that. The Brian I know isn't a killer. And he most certainly isn't a horrible monster. I don't care what you think you are, Brian. Over the course of this year, I've gotten to know the real you. You're shy, quiet and a little misunderstood. But you have good qualities too." "You're just saying that to make me feel better." "No I'm not Brian. I mean every word of it. Now stop being so silly. We're all human and have our faults. If people only looked beyond the cold front you keep up to guard yourself, they'd see the most caring person on this planet." Melody turned Brian's head so he was looking at her, the hand she used sitting in place on his cheek. Melody's touch felt alien to him. So much so that he was almost frightened of it. "Now look at me and say I'm wrong. I dare you Brian. Putting yourself down will only make your partner doubt you. We're all afraid of something. For you, being abandoned is the scariest thing that could happen. It's the same for me. I lost my parents at a young age and went through many foster homes. At school, the other students bullied me for having no real family. I received fierce beatings from my foster families. Some of the men also…pushed me down and…defiled me. By the age of twelve the authorities decided I would be better off in an all girls institute where only female teachers worked. Even then I was preyed upon. Some of the older girls saw delight in causing the younger ones pain. Nobody ever stood up for me. The abuse carried on through college and university. Then when I started working for the company we're both at now. It finally stopped about a month before you came into my life. You see Brian. We have more in common than you even realise. At first I was afraid you'd be like all the others. Then I saw I was wrong. In truth, I don't know how I recovered."

Brian couldn't find the right words to say at hearing what Melody had been through. She was crying now, the pain too much to bear. In place of words, Brian held Melody securely to his chest and stroked her long hair, hoping the show of affection would help calm her. It also explained why Melody was attached to him. By the time Melody stopped crying, Brian had a massive wet patch on his shirt. She muttered an apology, hanging her head low. "It's okay Melody. I guess I should've seen the signs sooner. It's why Sven is so protective of you isn't it? Because he knows what you've been through?" "Yes. He's always been there when I've needed support. Was there anything in particular you wanted to do today?" "Not really. I've never been on a date before." "That's alright. This is my first time too. Why don't we go upstairs and relax a bit better?" Brian didn't want Melody to see him as a coward so he awkwardly agreed. Unlike most women, Melody didn't appear to be a huge fan of pink since her room was a deep violet colour. Brian's heart leapt into his mouth when she pulled him down onto her bed. They stayed still for a moment, looking into the eyes of the other. Brian found himself moving in slowly, Melody's eyes drawing him closer. She too closed the short gap between them and soon their lips were pressed tightly together. The kiss wasn't hasty; instead a slow pace was set. Just like when he'd confessed about his past, Brian had his eyes closed. Melody ran her tongue over Brian's bottom lip, asking for his permission to enter. He nervously accepted the request only to have Melody's tongue dive hungrily between his lips. They both battled for the upper hand and Brian won, his arms winding around Melody's waist. The kiss lasted for a while but when it finally ended, Melody had a pleading look in her eyes. Brian had been warned about the gaze he was currently held in. It was a sign that Melody wanted to go further with him. "Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you." Brian nuzzled his face into Melody's hair, breathing in the exotic scent of her. "There's nothing I've ever wanted more than this. It's okay to be nervous. I understand how you feel. I'm a little scared too." Brian looked into Melody's eyes to find no lies.

Melody found herself being stripped not long after putting the request to Brian. His hands were far from steady but the more he touched Melody, the more aroused she seemed to become. Brian was relieved of his clothes too, a hint of pink on his pale cheeks. His friend downstairs was apparently already up for some action. Brian gasped as Melody gently rubbed his rod of hard flesh, the feeling evoked unfamiliar. This caused Brian to hold Melody tighter to his chest and she smiled. "Does that feel good Brian? Believe me it'll feel better once we're entwined." Melody never expected Brian to silence her with a kiss that hungered for more affection. Despite all the excitement, Brian was still frightened that he'd hurt Melody. She noticed Brian's unease, rolling him over onto his back. In his submissive position, Brian got a good look at Melody's enormous breasts from below. They were perfectly curved and Brian found himself reaching out to touch them. The rounded orbs were smooth to the touch and very squishy. "Are you having fun down there Brian?" "Should I be?" "Of course. It wouldn't be fair if I had it all. There's no rush to go all the way. We can stop if you'd like." Brian didn't want to let Melody down, fondling her breasts a little more, telling the brunette all she needed to know. Brian was more than a bit confused when Melody rolled something rubbery onto his manhood. "Huh? The hell is this?" "It's called a condom Brian. So that I don't get pregnant. We're not ready for a child yet." "I…think I get it. But how is this little thing supposed to stop what nature intended?" "Well it works like a glove in some ways. In short, it stops your semen from entering my body. That's why it's loose at the end. Now enough talking. You must be getting impatient." Before Brian had the chance to respond, Melody slipped his hardened penis into her rather tight pussy. It appeared that the condom also served as a lubricant, given how easy it was for Brian's cock to vanish inside her. Melody whimpered once she was sitting directly on Brian's crotch, her hands on his chest for support. Brian on the other hand wasn't sure how to take the new rush of pleasure he felt. Melody met his lilac eyes without fear, caressing Brian's cheek with quiet fingers. "It's okay to let your feelings out vocally. There's no need to be afraid."

Brian gave a meek nod, his hands on Melody's big hips. At first she rocked herself on Brian's pulsating shaft, listening to his faint mumbles. It made her happy to be one with him, moving a little more vigorously as his mews gained volume. Soon she had Brian groaning her name, grasping at her supple butt cheeks. To Melody's surprise and delight, Brian gave her rear a firm slap but he noticeably used very little force. It didn't take long for Melody to tire herself out, not expecting Brian to have such a long drive. She laid down on top of him without disconnecting. They were both breathing heavily, bodies laced with sweat. "I think somebody needs to take a break, Melody." Brian squeezed the words out between breaths, trying to give his lungs the air they currently craved. "But you're not done." She replied, planting a soft kiss on Brian's lips. "It wouldn't be fair on you to stop now." "Melody, it's alright. Besides, I could go too hard on you." Brian flinched when Melody latched onto his neck and sucked the pale flesh. "H-Hey. What the hell are you doing?" "What's the matter Brian? Don't cha like love bites?" "Never heard of them." "Well that's what I'm trying to give you. Now keep it down and sit still." Brian did the exact opposite, assuming the dominant position. Little that Brian knew, that was what Melody had wanted him to do. The moment went wild when Melody pulled Brian down to kiss her. His body moved all by itself without him wanting or telling it to, probably due to instinct or desire. Melody pulled out of the kiss to scream Brian's name as he pounded her. He also returned the bruise she'd left on his neck, spanking her several times in quick succession. Brian clung tighter to Melody when his balls began to twitch mere seconds before he reached his peak, pushing deep into the defiled red head. And he didn't hesitate to voice the feeling of pure heaven at the exact moment of his release. They stared at each other, almost as if to question what was next, panting heavily. Melody smiled with half closed eyes, running a hand through Brian's matted lilac hair. "You okay Mel?" "Yes I'm fine. Thanks to you. Get some rest before going home Brian." "I'd rather not go home at all." After another kiss the duo fell soundly asleep side by side.

Back at the dojo things had calmed down. Max was finally awake and clinging constantly to Hiro. In her doing so, Tyson and Daichi finally understood what Tala had been trying to say. Of course, Tyson had not been too pleased but Max backed her off. She loved Hiro and that was very clear. Nobody was doing much when Sophie arrived looking a little tired. Bruce had come around after knocking himself out and he was rather surprised to see her. "Sophie? What are you doing here?" "I just wanted to see how you were doing. If it wasn't for my hectic working hours I would've come sooner." Hiro hadn't been in the room when Sophie stepped in so he didn't really know how to take seeing his father embracing a younger woman. And a younger woman that looked identical to him no less. "Dad, what's going on? Who is this woman?" "Hiro? Before your Grandpa passed away he told me something your mother never did. She had twins." "If so, why didn't she tell me?" "Hiro, your mother and grandfather didn't say anything about you having a twin because my mother took it away." "And how does this relate to the wench in your arms?" Bruce's face turned slightly sour. He apparently wasn't liking Hiro's attitude. "Because Sophie is the child I never knew existed until this year. My mother had always wanted a daughter but had been unable to bring one into this world. When she learned that Daisy, your mother had given birth to identical twins, she made her move and took Sophie during the night. Sophie's here now because my mother passed away some odd weeks ago and told her the truth. I'm sure Spencer briefed Sophie on the situation just like I asked him to." Sophie hugged Bruce's arm with a nod, more nervous about approaching Hiro given his initial reaction to her presence. Having heard why nobody told him about Sophie, Hiro calmed down and approached her slowly. Sophie wanted to run but Bruce gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The last thing she expected to happen was to have Hiro hold her tight, his eyes shut tightly to fight back tears. "You look so much like her. I'm sorry for being so hostile. My dad and Tyson mean a lot to me. I just didn't want to see either of them get hurt." "That's okay. I was told you wouldn't take the news very well. So…this is your team?" "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how the world is going to handle this problem."

Up in Ray's room she was cuddling with Ranmaru on the bed. Ray took great care not to touch Ranmaru's left thigh. Because of that the handsome ninja was on his right side and trying not to hold Ray too tightly. "Ranmaru, where'd you go?" "I went to seek out my uncle for his help. He knows Natsu better than I ever will. But the old badger sent me right on back saying that my sister would return in her own sweet time. He said she was in no danger so I trusted his judgement. I'm…sorry I left so suddenly. I've not yet grown into the habit of saying goodbye before departing. Up til now I never really had somebody waiting for me to come back." Ray smiled, understanding where Ranmaru was coming from. He'd been lonely for so long he forgot that people cared about him. "Just promise me you'll at least leave a letter next time. Or some flowers." "I didn't realise I had to 'Woo' you Ray." "No. But it's just nice to know you care enough to give me a gift. Even if it will die in a week." This made Ranmaru laugh but not for long. His leg reminded him that the numbing injection was wearing off. "Ranmaru." "Hm? What is it Ray?" "Spencer says that we might be female for the rest of our lives. He and his brothers haven't been able to find a cure for us. Their doctor is our last chance. If…it is that I cannot return to my former gender, would you at least consider loving me?" Ranmaru had not been prepared for such a question and his eyes showed his shock clear as day. Deep down, he felt something for the raven haired lass in his arms. Ray took advantage of Ranmaru's stunned state, pulling him down into a gentle kiss. Ranmaru didn't fight, pulling Ray that little bit closer to him and returned the affection. Ray got so excited in the heat of the moment that she almost stripped Ranmaru of his clothes as he did her. Luckily the young ninja caught hold of himself in time. Ray was upset of course but she also understood that Ranmaru didn't feel ready to go that far just yet. "I'm sorry, Ray. I can't. Not yet." "It's okay Ranmaru. I understand. I won't pressure you to take me. We're both new at this." Ranmaru felt relieved that Ray understood his unease. But still he felt bad for letting her down all the time. They laid together until supper was ready.

A few days went by after Natsu and Ranmaru returned to the dojo. Mr. Dickenson promised to do what he could for the team without alerting the media. Kai's mood seemed to improve now her parents were back. Soon Kai's 18th birthday was just around the corner. Obviously she was unaware that the others knew about it as she holed herself away upstairs, feeling a bit ill. It was a Saturday so everyone was able to spread out and prepare the party. Ray, Natsu, Hilary and Bruce were in the kitchen. Ranmaru helped Hiro and Spencer to put some decorations up whilst the remaining Blitzkrieg Boys did some shopping, mainly of gifts. Tyson, Kenny, Max and Daichi were just mulling around. Sumaru was tasked with keeping Kai upstairs and prevent her from spoiling the surprise. By late afternoon everything was ready. Bruce had been reeled into a mini food fight with the girls whilst preparing the snacks. The cake had been safely put in the oven before then. Brian, Ian and Tala came back not long before Sumaru helped Kai to get down the stairs. Everyone else was hiding in what was the sleeping room, all light blocked out. Kai panicked before she even stepped into the darkness. She almost hit the roof when the room became bright and the others yelled happy birthday. Kai didn't know who to hit first until Spencer stepped forward, giving him a black eye to remember. "It wasn't me. I didn't spill the beans." The others worried that Kai would flip at them given the steely look in her eyes. But she soon softened, eyes brimming with tears which were shed into Sumaru's waist. The poor father didn't know what to do, looking to Natsu for help. "Oh, sweetie. Come now, it's alright. Or are those tears of joy you're crying? You know I'd never forget your birthday. Neither would your brothers." Natsu rubbed Kai's back soothingly and her weeping stopped slowly. It had been around fourteen years since Kai last celebrated her birthday so she was overwhelmed with half a dozen feelings. She wanted to hit everyone but also felt happy that they cared enough to throw her a birthday party. Once Kai was calm everyone moved in to cuddle her gently, being mindful of the big bump she tried so hard to hide. Bruce cleared his throat to gain silence. "Okay who wants to give Kai his first gift?" 'Oh they didn't. Now I really need to kill them.'

The Blitzkrieg Boys decided to go first with Spencer in front. Sumaru and Bruce helped Kai to sit down since she looked tired still. None of the boys could find anything to say so Spencer set a box down at Kai's feet and opened it. From within, a fuzzy grey kitten poked its beautiful blue eyes over the rim. The look in Kai's eyes was priceless. Since Spencer was frightened of hurting the kitten, Ian picked the baby animal up and placed it in Kai's lap. Nobody dared to say a word as Kai cradled the kitten in her arms, tenderly stroking its tiny head. She uttered a quiet thank you that could hardly be heard. Spencer sat himself next to Kai and allowed the kitten to sniff his finger. The small feline hissed a little and struck out at Spencer with its tiny paws. "Look at her go. Little nipper can probably smell fish on me. We didn't know what else to get you and you've always wanted a cat. Bruce said it was okay for us to get you one. Well I know she's young but that way you'll be together longer." Kai looked up at Spencer with teary eyes before nuzzling her face into his ribs. Whilst Kai was distracted the kitten found her way into Kai's top. Kai pulled her face out from Spencer's side to find the kitten kneading her breast, finding she couldn't be mad at the animal. "Don't get too used to being in there, fuzz ball." "She must be comfy." Spencer's comment earned him a sharp slap from Kai. "Ow, hey! No bitch slapping. That's no way to say thanks." The others couldn't help but laugh at the face Kai pulled at Spencer. As the afternoon went on, Kai was given gifts from her teammates. Daichi had cheekily got her a bag of make up so he ended up being thrown into the pond by a maniacal eyed Kai. The others were more sensible about their choices. Ray had gotten Kai a book on mythology, knowing her captain was into that kind of stuff. Tyson and Kenny clubbed together to get her a new longer scarf that was slightly fluffy. Max and Hiro's gift was a beyblade tuning kit and Kai couldn't wait to play with it. Hilary had held to her word and bought Kai an N'SYNC CD. Bruce had no idea what to get Kai. He'd spent hours trying to find something days before hand. He'd eventually settled for a punk jacket and surprisingly Kai liked it.

After trying to kill Ian for mentioning that she'd look like the bride of Chucky if she wore a white dress, Kai settled back into the arms of her family. Natsu and Sumaru had gotten their gift whilst they were in hiding. Kai couldn't stop the tears from building in her eyes when she opened the black velvet box. Inside lying gently upon the blue silk interior was a locket in the shape of Dranzer made from the finest gold, Ruby and Emerald. Dranzer's mane was made of coloured pearl. Inside the locket was a family photo from when Kai was little. Even Ranmaru was touched despite him not being the recipient. He was the last to give Kai something. "This was a hard decision for me to make, y'know. I'm not accustomed to the whole giving of gifts so this might not be the most practical of presents." Ranmaru knelt in front of Kai holding a long wooden box. He opened it carefully as the hinges seemed quite old. Natsu couldn't believe her eyes at seeing what resided within the Maplewood case. It was a sword. A katana to be precise. The sheathe was made of mahogany and decorated with ancient Chinese writing. The katana's hilt was intricately designed from dark oak. "Ranmaru…isn't that…" "Yes it is, Natsu. I arrived home not long after you left with Kai. Father gave me this sword to hold onto until Kai was ready to receive it. Then I went to see uncle Raiga, returning some years later to find our family gone." Ranmaru turned now to Kai whose eyes were full of bewilderment. "This sword has been in our family for generations, Kai. It was mainly used as a ceremonial tool until it came into the hands of mine and Natsu's father. Trust me, when I was a kid this was dusty as hell and quite broken. When your grandfather saw you, he made the decision to give you the family katana, Phoenix Flower." Ranmaru placed the box down and helped Kai to stand. He then placed the sword in her hands. "Well go on, draw it. I cannot. She will not respond to me." Kai nervously did as she was told and unsheathed the sword left to her by the relative she'd never met. The blade was a work of art, wider than regular katana blades and tempered to be slightly thicker. Upon the shining surface Kai could only just see faint golden lining in the shape of a Phoenix surrounded by flowers. The blade flashed red and Kai felt a familiar presence at that very moment.

The others were just as confused when Kai pulled Dranzer out of her pocket. Dranzer's bit resonated with the sword. "What does all this mean, Ranmaru?" "Dranzer was not Sumaru's, Kai. She was our family guardian. When Natsu left on her journey, she took the southern Phoenix with her. The sword remained in our village. A part of Dranzer's spirit was sealed within the sword so that if she was ever destroyed, the sword would be her anchor to this world. Father must've known he'd be killed if he told me to take this family treasure away from the village. My guess is that Voltaire knew about this sword and sought to take it and free the remainder of Dranzer's spirit. Our place in the village is gone now. We cannot go back. There's one other thing my father said to me before I left with Phoenix Flower. He told me that should I find you in the future if Natsu had come to harm, I was to protect you with my very being. Uncle Raiga also drilled that into my head." Ranmaru felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders with the sword now in Kai's care. She gently slid the sword back into its sheath so Ranmaru could settle it back into the box. Natsu excused herself from the room when she felt sick. Sumaru showed no signs of being worried, remaining in his seat beside Kai. Hilary however gave Sumaru a teasing look. "I think somebody is going to be in trouble." Everyone glanced at Hilary, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?" "C'mon Ray. Don't tell me you haven't seen an increase in Natsu's appetite?" Hiro stroked his chin thoughtfully, recalling that Natsu had also been sick in the mornings. "I think I see where you're taking this, Hilary. I've noticed that Natsu does tend to throw up in the mornings these days. It's not like her." Sumaru still could not see what all the fuss was about so Bruce took him out of the room to explain. Obviously this did not go down well with him. "What is going on?" "Sumaru. I know exactly what Hilary is saying. She's hinting that Natsu could be pregnant." "Pregnant?" The word formed awkwardly for Sumaru but he finally understood, head held low. "Hey, it's alright. I'm sure Kai will understand. These things just happen whether they're planned or not. We'll help in any way we can, I promise."

Oddly, it comforted Sumaru to have Bruce's hand on his shoulder. The elder Granger was like the brother he'd never had. They walked out to the back yard where a gentle breeze greeted them. In all his years, Sumaru had never seen such a beautiful garden. "Bruce." "Hm? What's up Sumaru?" "Although I have just found my family, I fear something will take me from them again." "What are you talking about old man? You're just letting your nerves get the better of you that's all." "You do not understand. Since I am no longer under Boris's control, he will want to dispose of me. In the event that this happens, I want you to take my place at Natsu's side." Bruce wanted to believe he was hearing things but Sumaru's eyes were dead serious. "It is clear to me that you have feelings for my wife. In truth, I doubt that I would ever be able to truly love her like I used to. Here, take my ring. She will understand." Bruce simply could not believe what was happening. "Why me, Sumaru?" "Because…I trust you. Natsu has spoken very highly of you whilst we hid. And Kai trusts you. You have already taken my place whether you like it or not. I shall remain with my family and spent what little time I am going to have left with them. I cannot say how long I have. But knowing Boris, he'll strike when everyone is at their weakest." "Kai's due to give birth in around two months. I'll bet that's when he'll target you. Sumaru, the best thing to do is stay inside." "It is no use. He will find me no matter where I may hide. Running is futile. Boris likely already knows I am here. However, he does not appear to be aware that Natsu is still alive. There is one other reason Boris will want to kill me." Bruce blinked, looking straight into Sumaru's eyes. "I know the truth behind BIOVOLT." "You do?" "Yes. But it is already too late to tell the authorities." "Sumaru…could you tell me? Then when the time is right, I can relay the truth to others. I'm sure they'll want to know." Sumaru eyed Bruce for a moment, trying to determine whether or not to trust him. "If you can trust me with the future of your wife and kids, you can trust me with information regarding BIOVOLT. I know you worked there against your will. Natsu told us." "Very well. My father, Voltaire, wanted no part in BIOVOLT. He was just the one who funded the operation. It was all Boris."

Bruce looked around briefly as did Sumaru. The last thing they wanted was for somebody to sneak up on them. "Boris used my father, twisting him to his will. When I was born, Boris had my mother slain as a warning. If my father ever betrayed him, somebody else would die. I started attending the Abbey when I was five or six. Father was against the idea until he was threatened with my death." "The more I hear, the less I like Boris." "It gets worse. My father never wanted to hurt me. I could see it in his eyes whenever he had to 'Punish' me for disobedience or misbehaving. Voltaire is not the man everybody knew him to be. He wanted to show he loved me but Boris would not let him. The steely front you saw was just a mask. After some years my father put it up to protect himself." Bruce didn't like where Sumaru's tone was going yet he saw the faintest slither of a tear in his grey eyes. "Boris even tortured him sometimes. Forced me to watch as my father was shamed by his benefactor. When I became of age, I was pushed into working for BIOVOLT. I was there for maybe five years witnessing boys of all ages being abused. My father was powerless to stop it. And so was I. Upon meeting Natsu, I quit working for BIOVOLT. Boris would never let me go so I plain walked out. After that I went to college and became an architect. A few years later, Kai came along." "Let me guess, Voltaire didn't disapprove of your betrothal to Natsu?" "No. But he told me to make it look that way for the sake of my family. I would write to him in secret, informing him of how well things were going. Then Boris found out because of the media." "And had Kai stolen, enslaving you and him both." "As far as my father knows, Boris killed me as repayment for his betrayal. To my knowledge, he is still alive." "The last we heard." Bruce heaved a heavy sigh, running a hand through his black hair roughly. "The others won't take this right off the bat. Especially not Kai." "I know. But if you tell him it came from me he will believe you. We should get back. The others will likely be concerned about us being alone for too long." "Yeah. After all, I do owe you for knocking me out. But no hard feelings pal. Guess I deserved it." Sumaru gave a small nod and led the way back to the party.

* * *

Duh-duh-duhn! Did I do that right? Oh fudge it who cares? So yeah, I won't turn the girls back into boys. I'm cruel. And for once I decided Voltaire should be a good guy. He'll appear later, depending on how many chapters I decide to write up to that point. Maybe another two if I'm lucky to get enough inspiration. Here's something to look forward to in the next chapter...a pairing nobody would ever think of. It's a part of my genius really.

Well I'm off to upload my newest story (this one is about a year old by this point) and do other online stuff I do daily (hence why I haven't updated or uploaded anything for so long).

Until then, see ya


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